We don't watch much TV around our house, so it was through a friend that I was introduced to the show, "The World's Strictest Parents." The concept is simple: Totally out-of-control teens are sent to other parts of the world to live for a week with a "new" family – one much stricter, tougher, and disciplined.

Over the course of the week (and the hour-long show), the teens are "broken." They learn that discipline is not the enemy, that there are consequences to their actions, and that their life back home was actually pretty darned good. Of course, there are moments of breaking the rules, testing the limits, and outright rebellion, all of which add to the drama.   The show is completely captivating in its own right (my favorite segment was when a particularly obstinate kid took off unescorted to get a tattoo from a street parlor in India… the tattoo, ironically, was the Hindi word for "wisdom."). But even better is the way it makes me feel like I'm not doing so bad a job raising my kids. Here are five lessons I've learned from the World's Strictest Parents:  

1. Education is critical. In all the "rehab" houses, education is stressed as the key to a successful life. We're doing pretty well on this one; my husband and I have made it clear that where they go, and what they study, is up to them, but they will get a diploma from a four-year college. Maybe I should have emphasized the necessity of them choosing a state school or getting a scholarship!
    
2. Respect for authority is non-negotiable. The "bad" teenagers will come right out and tell you they have no respect for their parents or teachers. That changes by the week's end! A great lesson for our kids: Even if they don't agree, they must speak to us – and each other – with respect. So far, so good. Even if my kids occasionally yell at us (and are reprimanded), they have yet to tell me to go… well, you know what.  
    
3. The kids must be involved. Many of the "bad" kids do nothing but hang out and party with their friends. One girl had spent the whole of the previous year stoned from 9 in the morning until 10 at night. (After seeing that, I didn't judge myself so harshly about letting the kids veg in front of the computer for an hour or two!). In contrast, their new parents expect them to play sports, performing charity work, and do homework -- lots and lots of homework.
    
4. Expectations are clear. One of the first tasks for each set of "new" parents is to sit down and go over the house rules with their new kids. It's time for us to think about putting our house rules in writing. Or then again, maybe we should wait until everyone can read them.
    
5. The family is bigger than the individual. Many of the "new" parents talk about honor – for the family unit and for the parents, a concept that's foreign to the "bad" teens, as they've been brought up to believe their wants and wishes are the center of the universe. Realizing that other people count – and that what you want may be at the bottom of the unit's priority list – is a critical part of growing up.  

While like most reality TV, the show is edited to portray the kids at their worst. But it's easy to believe that such turnarounds can occur when the teenagers are forced to face their behavior. I just wonder, though, who's going to make the "bad parents" face theirs.