Robert's Reflections
October 22 2000

Archive

Child Rearing (Cont)

In previous generations the child-rearing language they used did not sound good, filled as it was with such sayings as: "Children should be seen and not heard,""I'm going to give you as much rope as you need to hang yourself," "Money doesn't grow on trees," "You made your bed, now you're going to lie in it,' "You're going to have to stew in your own juices over this," and the most hated of them all, "Because I said so." Each one of these seemingly harsh sayings conveyed a point that, when taken together with all other sayings, summed up the parenting philosophy of our ancestors.

People of my generation and older heard one or more of these sayings on a daily basis. Because of this we learned the lessons our parents were trying to convey to us; most of the time it being learned 'the hard way'. Did we like these lessons or the sayings that "drilled them into our heads"? NO, of course not! Therefore it was relatively easy for (helping?) professionals to convince us that these methods and philosophies did not work, and were in fact, harmful and abusive.

And boy! Did they ever convince us!? The result is now that most American parents have pulled away and rejected the basic, yet effective, method our grandparents used to raise up their own children. Parents across all social, ethnic, and cultural bounderies, have backed off of that old-time-correction, and now go by what sounds good. But what are the results of this shifting of values and standards? Today's all-to-typical child is demanding, disobedient, uncooperative, disrespectful and irresponsible.

It is high time that we get back to our roots. God first told us how to properly raise our children within the pages of the Bible. Then He allowed us to see the examples set by our ancestors. It is a simple matter of trust. So who are you going to believe? God and your grandmother, or Dr. Ruth.

Robert