Parents nowadays are scared of their kids.

The snotty-nosed, precocious tiny humans have managed to manipulate parents the way MacDonalds sells Coke Zero with a supersized meal to dieting obesitites. I love children. They are enraptured with life, they have an unfathomable imagination and they have a way of pointing out the truth that would make even the Dalai Lama cringe. But man, have things gone topsy turvy these days.

I recently read a couple of articles on the way parents pick on teachers and the enormous expectations they place on the classroom leaders. In similar conversations with close personal friends (and teachers) I have received similar feedback. Now how do we expect the kids to understand and internalise values such as tolerance, patience, understanding and responsibility when the primary role models are not reflecting the very moral fibre they demand.

Teachers are already responsible for the imparting of an educational foundation (as questionable as modern education may be) to a class of on average 30 children. Is it not somewhat unreasonable for parents to shirk their moral responsibilities on to them as well? It is becoming more and more evident that family values in today's world are a rare and special structure.

In typical fashion, the cosmic joke of the situation results in a repetitive and spiraling system. The children grow up without firm guidelines and boundaries, they in turn become parents without a firm scaffold of values.


Now it may be worthwhile considering, as every good and worthy anarchist does, why these ‘morals’ are necessary.

One phrase sums it all up for me:

'Do unto others as you want done unto you.'

Social conformity and order, sure.  A productive environment. Ok. But think closer, think more personal, closer to home. Think 'would I want to be treated this way?' If everyone just paused before they spoke or acted, wouldn't it make life easier and happier for everyone?

And this applies to EVERYONE. including parents to kids and vice versa. Now if we treat children the way we would expect to be treated, maybe some of the difficulties and challenges we face with them would be somewhat different...





Comments

  1. I see you have not posted for a while, when can we expect something new?

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