| | | | Getting Over On Mom and Dad |
By Susan M. Keenan
ago, today’s children are encouraged to be clever, even if it means cleverly dishonest. Can we even blame them for this apparent deceit? In fact, many times parents are the ones who encourage children to be deceitful, and then feign hurt when the child turns the skill around and uses it against the parent.
For example, the child doesn’t feel like going to school on a particular day. Oh, the poor dear. Mommy says, “I’ll call in sick for you and we can stay home together and watch some television.” Yes, television, that all powerful, ever present, engaging electronic device of noise has become a bigger factor in some lives than it should be.
Maybe the child has a paper to hand it, but hasn’t completed it yet. Mom comes to the rescue again with another phone call to the school. “My child isn’t feeling well today and won’t be in for class.” The child now has the entire day to do the work.
Back in the day, had I even hinted to my mother that I wanted to stay home from school, I would have been afraid of the consequences. Ah yes, the stories my cousins and I could tell about being second generation citizens from the old country.
Which old country, you might very well ask. Well, it really didn’t matter since our relatives were from many different countries. Any old country- they all had the same values. Obey your elders, close your mouth, and do as I say. Oh yes, let’s not forget the one that I heard at every family reunion for years- children are to be seen and not heard.
Funny isn’t it, how things have turned around and now the kids are the ones calling the shots. The kids are the ones telling mom and dad, “Hey I want this, and I don’t want that.” Nowadays, the kids determine many things that we never had a choice about when we were children. I’ve heard other parents ask their children which elementary school they want to attend, where do they want to go on vacation, what restaurant should they eat at on Friday, and more.
What about the word no? Well, it used to be that the word ‘no’ was only uttered from the mouth of a parent, a teacher, or a grandparent. Well now, I hear the word ‘no’ from the mouths of babes more than I hear it from anyone else. “No, I won’t pick up my toys, or “No, I won’t come inside yet. I’m not ready,” or “No, I don’t feel like it.”
If any of this is happening at your home, take a good look at your behavior. If it’s not happening, then you are one of the lucky ones who won’t have to beg the kids to take you to your doctor’s appointments when you are old and gray.
Seriously, though, if you expect your child to be responsible, honest, and trustworthy when he or she grows up, bring your child up that way. Maybe we don’t need to go back to the old ways of children being silent and totally obedient without ever questioning why, but we do need to set the example and be a good role model all of the time- not just when it is convenient.
Post a comment
FamilyLobby.com Articles is your source for family-related articles. Talk about this article in the FamilyLobby Community.
|
|
|
|
|
StumbleUpon
