As I read over others words, I couldn’t help but smile. It all
made me think of when my son was little and how often he would wake me up in
the middle of the night. How many times I would wake up to find him in bed
beside me or in the floor curled up with a pillow and a cover. I even
remembered the knocks at my door only to find my daughter calling out my name
or touching my shoulder to wake me up. Whether the wake-up call was in tears,
with a smile or just one for safety, it was all important to them and in turn
to us as well.
A child is so tender and its true that parents have a kind
of power that can make or break them. Reality confirms that you don’t actually
know how you will influence your children. If your too strict will it make them
go wild. If your too lenient will it invite nothing but trouble into their
lives. Sometimes it the most horrible parents that create a child who becomes
the most amazing parent ever, all because they swear never to be like there
parents were to them.
The story I was reading told of someone who saw how much influence they
had on their children and perhaps, they realized how important their job was as
a parent. They saw the fear and the beauty in what they did and said and the
responsibility as well.
There is no true book that is right or wrong, good or
bad as to how to raise a child. It is always, almost true that what we think
they will remember as the most important thing from our time together turns out
to be the farthest from their favorite memory.
I loved seeing the insight into another parents’ thoughts on
their children. It helps us all to see another view and to know that we are not alone. Too often in today’s world we see and hear
more about parents and less about what children need from us and how they learn
from what they see us say and do. The “Me” Generation does not always do our
children any favors. Children cannot learn respect for themselves and others unless
they see and hear it in their lives.
Mean words and accusations do not grow a strong self-esteem.
Blaming someone for wrong they have done and repeatedly bringing up a person’s
downfalls is not a way to help them grow and become independent. I always told
my son that it was his behavior that I did not like, but behaviors have nothing
to do with me loving him. Loving a child is constant, liking what he/she does
fluctuates in life but that’s how we all learn, is from our mistakes. Its up to
us as parents to help them process their rights and wrongs and guide them in
being better people then even we are. Doesn’t mean they should rule our roost
just that they deserve to be heard and respected.
