Words of wisdom
I just saw this on LiveJournal and thought it was well worthy of being shared:
On Wanting the Best for Your Child
Every parent wants the best for their child. In my experience, however, parents typically believe they know what is best for their child, before they get to know their child.
For someone to help us, they must first know us. They must know what our preferences and desires are, what our beliefs and values are and what our dreams and fears are. Imposing their preferences, their beliefs, their fears, their values on us does not help us — it insults and offends us.
You can not get to know your children by ordering them around, judging, punishing, threatening and interrogating them. In other, words, by imposing yourself on them. When we are imposed upon, sooner or later, we reject this imposition. The more independent we are, according to unique genetic code, the more completely we reject such imposition, and chose instead to find our own way.
To find out who your children are, you must listen to them, lay all the options before them, expose them to the world’s abundant possibilities. Then stand back in awe and wonder, and marvel at the people they become.
