“Ignore your children, and they will go away.”
That phrase came to me a number of months ago after contemplating all that’s happening in our country. And it won’t let me go.
I hope, in a positive way, it won’t let go of you, either. Last week’s tragic school shooting in Parkland, Florida is a reminder — for all of us — that life is fragile.
But it is far more. It’s a reminder that we need to be a lot more intentional about turning things around than we have been up to this point.
To be a parent is to care about the emotional development of your child — and, it means helping your child develop good interpersonal communication and conflict resolution skills.
If you aren’t doing that, you are missing a key aspect of parenting.
Is your child learning how to interact with other people in healthy ways? What do they do with their anger?
Teenage depression is at an all-time high. When we consider that many instances of depression are due to anger turned inward, much of the teenage depression problem may actually be a problem with unresolved anger.
To parent is to be engaged with your child. If you don’t know what to do, get books that will help you. Talk to others who have parented successfully. You don’t have to have a PhD to parent.
You, however, need to make time.
Are you eating meals together? Have smart devices dumbed down your family interaction?
Take your family back by becoming a better parent. When you meet the emotional needs of your child, you help him or her grow up to become a responsible, healthy citizen. And, isn’t that what America needs, big time, right now?
Are you caring for the emotional needs of your child? How are you doing, as a parent, and what positive improvements can you make, today? It’s time for an open dialogue.
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Most of the lessons I’ve learned in life I’ve learned through failure. I publish my blogs here and on Facebook. We welcome and read comments from readers just like you because they help us (and others) think and grow. Don’t be shy, chime in.
I’m the author of “A Call for Courage: Living With Power, Truth and Love In An Age of Intolerance and Fear” (Thomas Nelson Publishers). While the official release date is March 13, 2018, you can pre-order it on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and wherever books are sold.