If every parent would say the words spoken above to their teens and pre-teens, and stand by them, would they not grow up to be better citizens? If anyone disagrees with this statement, I would like to hear from you. You are encouraged to comment!
The reason young people do not get the structure, discipline and guidance they need today is twofold. For one, only 43% of families with children have a father living at home. That puts undue pressure on the mothers to teach values when they often struggle just to survive. The second reason is the namby pamby parenting of too many parents today!
It's not easy to be parents. Our kids are always moving from place to place, activity to activity, or worse, we don't know where they are! They are distracted by friends who are too easily accessible. Parents are also busy and find it difficult to exhibit their values, establish rules, and to enforce them. And let's face it, some of us are just too soft with our children. If we lose any more backbone, we will no longer be considered mammals.
Kids still complain but it's less about being bored than in 1959 because we have spoiled them with smart phones, computers, video games, cable TV, etc. Now they are busier, but the majority of them are not mowing lawns or visiting the sick. Instead of washing windows, they're using 'Windows'. Teens, these days, are texting, sexting, gaming, instagramming, facebooking, tweeting and who knows what else?
Parents must be in charge! If you are not, then you are performing a serious disservice to your children.
I challenge every parent of teens and pre-teens to take the 1959 article above, tailor the advice of this wise judge to match your families' rules and values, frame it and hang it on a prominent wall in your home to be seen and followed by all. As the last paragraph, state something like this:
"We're here to support, advise, and cheer you on my child, but your success depends on you and you alone. You'll find that the more you work to improve yourself, the more you sweat, the more you give, the more you plan, then the less help you will need from others. And others will WANT to help you because of your inspiring example."
The reason young people do not get the structure, discipline and guidance they need today is twofold. For one, only 43% of families with children have a father living at home. That puts undue pressure on the mothers to teach values when they often struggle just to survive. The second reason is the namby pamby parenting of too many parents today!
It's not easy to be parents. Our kids are always moving from place to place, activity to activity, or worse, we don't know where they are! They are distracted by friends who are too easily accessible. Parents are also busy and find it difficult to exhibit their values, establish rules, and to enforce them. And let's face it, some of us are just too soft with our children. If we lose any more backbone, we will no longer be considered mammals.
Kids still complain but it's less about being bored than in 1959 because we have spoiled them with smart phones, computers, video games, cable TV, etc. Now they are busier, but the majority of them are not mowing lawns or visiting the sick. Instead of washing windows, they're using 'Windows'. Teens, these days, are texting, sexting, gaming, instagramming, facebooking, tweeting and who knows what else?
Parents must be in charge! If you are not, then you are performing a serious disservice to your children.
I challenge every parent of teens and pre-teens to take the 1959 article above, tailor the advice of this wise judge to match your families' rules and values, frame it and hang it on a prominent wall in your home to be seen and followed by all. As the last paragraph, state something like this:
"We're here to support, advise, and cheer you on my child, but your success depends on you and you alone. You'll find that the more you work to improve yourself, the more you sweat, the more you give, the more you plan, then the less help you will need from others. And others will WANT to help you because of your inspiring example."
