Parenting

Today there are so many different people saying that they know the “right way” to parent. Some of these ideas are complete opposites of each other, but both swear to it being the “right way.” And sometimes it is really hard not to buy into some of these extreme ideas that one way is better than the other. But, the fact of the matter is that there is no one perfect way to raise each child. Every child is different, and every child is going to have different experiences. So pretty much what I am saying is that what might work really well for one child, might not work for another child. Some children require a firm voice and distinct punishments, but other children just need to have it explained to them of why what they are doing is wrong.

But there is also only so much that we can really do when our children grow and mature to think for themselves. I have seen some of the smartest and strongest parents watch their children make some pretty stupid choices that pretty much destroy their lives. Does that mean that these parents didn't do a very good job? No, not at all. We can’t force our children to make decisions. We can teach them what is right and wrong, but they still have the choice to do what is right or what is wrong. Now, I do have to say that I am not yet a parent, so I don’t know exactly what it is like to be a parent, but I do understand the concept of choosing for yourself. My parents were pretty close to perfect. I think that I turned out pretty good. But that is not the theme for all of my brothers. I have five brothers, so out of the six of us, five have turned out pretty good. One of my brothers on the other hand decided that the things that weren't congruent to what my parents wanted him to do. Does that mean that my parents weren't a good parent to him? Or maybe that if they did something a little different with him that he would be different? I’m not sure that he would be very different if they had decided to discipline him different. But I do know that my parents were pretty close to perfect for my family.

                                                           

This is what I am the most afraid of when I start my own family. I am afraid of what the world will be like for them when they start to make decisions on their own. I don’t know what kind of influences they will have or decisions they will have to make. But nobody can make those kinds of predictions. So who is to say what is the “right way” to parent?