Robert's Reflections
October 08, 2000

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Raising Children

Dr, John Rosemond, renowned family therapist, has done extensive research about the trials and challenges of raising healthy, happy children, The following is a quote worth considering...

"Parents who constantly bend over backward for their children eventually fall over backward. Parents who constantly go out of their way for their children eventually lose their way. Parents who always put their children first should not be surprised to eventually find that their children put them last."             ('Because I Said So' - page 120)

The point is that parents cannot run constant interference for their children and then expect that as adults, they will be able to deal with the realities of life. The Constitution of the United States guarantees to every person the pursuit of happiness. It is appropriate for parents to pursue happiness for their children throughout their lives. Even while they are children, they must learn to pursue happiness on their own, or else they will be unprepared to pursue and achieve happiness as adults. Child rearing may not be hard, but it does require a certain amount of hardheadedness.

The opportunity to figure things out provides a child with coping skills and resourcefulness which will help him develop incredible self-suffidency, thus supplying the ability to succeed where others fall. On the other hand, when parents keep bailing out their children (even into adulthood) these unfortunate children fail to reach a point where they can fend for themselves, Further, and probably worse, they will come quickly to a point where they will expect their parents and grandparents to continue to meet their needs. Children are supposed to move from being dependents to being independent,

Lets help them do just that.

Robert