We are approaching 2009 with heavy pressures with the economy on a downspiral, the attacks in India, and the fear of an attack from terrorists in United States. Change has been promised from our new president elect, Obama, and indeed change has begun with the election of the first African American president. Change…Change…Change! That is the mantra of 2009. How about we start making some real changes where we need it most, at home? How about really focusing on changing the way we raise our kids?
Let’s think about it for a moment.
We have all fallen into the coma due to technology and our busy lives, and our kids suffer. As a parent, I am at fault for giving into the allowance of cell phones for my 10 and 11 year old, along with laptops, ipods and digital gadgets. Yes I know….I am no different from most parents. But with all of our advanced technology; are we ruining our children with the overuse of it all? What happened to the days where kids just went outside to play until the street lights came on? Luckily I still have that with my kids. They do play outside a lot but that is because they are athletic and love playing ball. But what about the kids who are not athletic? Are they spending too much time in front of a computer screen, or playing on their xbox?
A boy who sits in front of his playstation 3, playing violent video games with other gamers throughout internet land. He is home alone because his parents both work and this is his way of playing inside, since he is not allowed outside until either mom or dad gets home. This type of play because realistic to him. The sights of violent acts on the screen desensitize him as he sees that these acts are possible to recreate. Do you follow me?
Then there is the subject of how spoiled our kids are today! That has to be saved for another blog …but we all collectively feel that we should give our kids whatever they want. We try to make our kids lives easier than ours when we were children. I feel that is a normal want; but then when I look at a child who is faced with adversity, and a child who gets everything…. I quickly realize that the child who was not given “everything” is the child who blooms into a self driven and self sufficient adult.
We forgot what our true role is as parents. Aren’t we supposed to be grooming our children to become successful and INDEPENDENT adults? How can our children be independent, when they do not know what it is to actually WORK for something?
