STOP! In the Name of Good Parenting

One thing that really stood out to me this week was respect. The videos we watched talked about speaking to your children respectfully. I loved their depiction between the mother and daughter. In our society we think it perfectly reasonable when the mother runs around saying how lazy her daughter is, demanding her to listen, and scolding her over and over again. But when the act is reversed it is totally unacceptable. And it makes sense. The mother seems like a jerk when she acts that way. So why do we think it’s okay?

I think it’s because we view children so negatively. In the media children are portrayed as spoiled brats. We think of children as a burden. It’s just terrible that we view them that way when they can be such blessings and such sweet spirits.

I’m a Nursery leader and I get to be with three two year-olds once very month. Even though they are sometimes crazy or having bad days, they are still very sweet. They comfort each other when one of them starts crying. It is really amazing to see. And we (the leaders) can’t just yell at them for not being able to sit still or listen for more than five minutes at a time. That would be ridiculous.

I wish I could teach this lesson to the world, especially Walt Disney World. When I worked there two years ago I saw the worst examples of parenting possible. It was all screaming, whining, cursing, and hitting… from parents. They seemed to forget that their kids were kids. They can’t be expected to go all day, from sun up to sun down with all the sun and rain and lines. If there were only children in Walt Disney World, the place would run so much better.

I think this idea of respect applies to all ages: infants, toddlers, children, teens, etc. If we can’t be respectful to our own flesh and blood, how can that respect carry over to persons of our own age? And I don’t think it can. Respect starts with your family. So no more disrespect!