It has occurred to me that someone out there who knows me or has stumbled upon this blog may be asking themselves, why is she writing about good parenting?
My last blog was about the fear of scarring my children for life in some way, shape, or form. This one is about the fear that I have for all children's safety and for the general well-being of our society. We have seen increased violence within educational environments over the past (10+ yrs) and I think this is a glaring symptom that something has gone terribly off course in terms of parenting. In fact, I think that good parenting is the key to most of the issues society is facing today. Parents MUST focus on raising good people! What does this mean? It means that parents need to role model things like the golden rule (treat others how you want to be treated), to role model being committed (to your partner, to a career, to spending time with your family), to role model being a participant in the community (volunteering, being neighborly, voting), to role model appropriate behaviors (refrain from cursing & smoking, at least in front of kids, refrain from physical & verbal violent acts, refrain from discrimination), to role model love (showing respect, affection, positive affirmations). These are just examples of what I think parents need to do to help ensure they are creating good children who will one day be adults making decisions & impacting the world. I mean comm'on! I know I'm asking for a lot here but its not like I'm saying that a good parent has to eat certain foods, be a tree hugger, attend a place of worship, provide a zillion toys for the kids, and stay home in order to raise good children. Parents don't actually have to BE perfect...but they should try to be a good role model...for the sake of a healthy society!
So writing about being a good parent is not me on my high horse... Its me doing a very little part in trying to save the world that my children are growing up in so that they are safe to live life, to believe in their dreams, to be innovative & inspiring in hopes of creating a better world instead of the current one that seems more violent than what is necessary.
It is beyond heart breaking for those families who have lost a child at the hands of someone else's child in an instance of school violence. I used to take comfort in believing that 99% of people are "good"...however, I think that percentage has dropped especially if you include our global world.
Just think of the trickle down effect of good parenting! It effects your child's self esteem, relationships they have with others (at school, at work, in public, as part of a team), how they model their family life when the time comes. Of course the main obstacle to good parenting is the parent them self...what baggage do you carry that is impacting your ability to parent well? Something to consider. As parents we reap what we sow. Its not too late to be a good parent, to focus on your child's well being, to teach them to be a good person. Parents ARE changing the world, one child at a time.
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