Page 20 - Doveland Schools Yearbook 2018

MESSAGES DOVELAND STARS

PRICE OF PRIVILEGE

Withholding whatever requires to be withheld kids suffer but we must learn to balance things
from your child isn't a sign of wickedness but a and not make the mistake of over indulging them
necessary character development procedure. when we know that the real world they will live in
When children are legi mately denied, don't when they leave us will not indulge them. The real
expect them to hold a party for you. They would world will task them and perhaps they may not be
cry, whine, grumble and some mes ques on your able to cope with the challenges life will definitely
true iden ty as the parent. All of these reac ons throw at them. So please don't say yes to
are normal and you must develop the emo onal everything they demand for. Teach them how to
for tude to see them as normal and follow delay gra fica on and respect adults. . Give them
through on your path towards effec ve paren ng. chores to do around the house. Let them wash
In our world where we try to give our children their plates a er meals. Let them clean their
anything and everything they ask for, most mes rooms. Have them join you in the kitchen and not
the ones they don't need, we are unaware that just sit in the si ng room watching cartoon.
we are actually se ng them up for failure later in Ensure they know there is a me the television
life. This is so true because life will never give must be put off; because there is no school
them everything and they must learn to live doesn't mean the whole day must be spent
without certain things. But what happens if you watching television. Don't take their excuses.
failed to teach them to survive without some Ins ll strict structure of compliance. They don't
perks of life? Have we quickly forgo en that we have to go to Dubai every holiday, they can visit
wouldn't have been successful in our careers and grandma. Or you think these are too much?
in life if we had parents just like us? Please reread
that statement again. I am saying that if your Mr. Smith Bam
parents raised you the way you are raising your
children, do you think you will be this useful and
responsible person you have become.
I believe the children are never the problem. The
problem is with us the parents. I am an advocate
of tough love and tough love can be really tough.
No one ever said paren ng was going to be easy
but it must be done once we are responsible for
bringing these children to the world. We cannot
delegate paren ng func ons and roles to teachers
and other members of the community. Part of
paren ng is denying your child of certain
privileges in the quest of training them to develop
character. Ensuring that you prepare them for
survival in case something unexpected happens to
you and all the indulgencies vanishes. What
happens if you lose your job or the economy isn't
fantas c as we have now? Can your children live
with a li le and s ll be happy? Can they celebrate
birthdays without bicycles, party packs, a new toy
or expensive cakes? Do we have to borrow to
make your kids happy by buying irrelevancies,
luxuries and trying a show off affluence? I don't
have space to list all the seemingly indulging and
flamboyant lifestyle we have exposed our children
to all in the name of wan ng to make them happy
and make them like us.
It's no secret that we have crossed the line and if
care isn't taken we will soon have to deal with the
price of privilege. I am not advoca ng that our

018