Children gone wild or failed parenting

A famous quote states: 'It takes a whole village to raise a child.' The villages today are in the form of music videos, TV, and the ever expanding internet; none of which should have a significant impact on a child's behavior, but due to the lack of attention and absentee parenting in the home, it is the major source of role-modeling most of our kids are emulating.

Another quote states: 'Children are to be seen and not heard;' or even 'Do as I say and not as I do;' whoever wrote these obviously never had children. Children are like sponges, they will soak up everything put before them and no one can ask more questions than a child can. Children also have a lot to say; that's why most of their time is spent in chat-rooms online. "Do you know who your children are speaking to? Do they?"

It is unfortunate that a child chooses that of a negative nature in which to adapt; but no thanks to the media, bad, looks good to the impressionable eye. Little do many parents know that there is no one a child would rather be like than the one who reared them; children idolize their parents and want nothing more than to please them; it is a crime that many don't recognize this.

Everyone over the age of twenty-one is aware of the ever-increasing enconomy which makes it a challenge to make ends meet, but a child has no concept of money until parents start complaining about it or tossing it at their kids just to get them out of their hair. A child is not born with the natural instinct to lust for money or material possessions; those who hold the strongest influence over them instills this, as with everthing else in their lives.

We all know what a parent is, but we are not always clear on what their responsibilities are. Some would argue that a parent's only duty is to supply a roof over a child's head, food in their bellies and clothes on their backs--shame on the few that feel that even this is not a factor--but a parent is so much more. A parent is responsible for making sure a child is properly educated; they are the major source that instills good morals and strong fiber. They are to teach them right from wrong; discipline and determination; self esteem and respect; responsibility and hard work; selflessness versus selfishness; but most of all, they are to teach them love; how to give it as well as how to receive it; anything less makes one fall short of good parenting.

Sadly, it is easy for a parent to resent a child for stealing their life; for taking up so much of their time and changing who they are or once were; and often this resentment can cause a parent to lash-out at their child undeservingly. Mother's compete against daughters; fathers berate sons; children are left alone far too long and too often with no supervision or guidance. They are emotionally abused by hurtful words and unfair actions done against them. Parents often forget that they too were once children; they forget the things they put their parents through and the heartfelt prayers not to do to their children what their parents did to them. Not many are aware that children suffer the sins of their parents; they enter the world with a strike against them due to no fault of their own.

When a child becomes rebellious, a parent is quick to point the finger at anyone or anything but themselves; they are quick to say that they get all their bad qualities from the other parent--especially if he or she is an absentee parent--and all the good qualities from them. If you are wondering how your child will turn out, just take a look in the mirror.

The village system no longer exists; but it is not needed if we practice good parenting.

To be continued...