 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
||
Signs of the Times Australia / NZ edition — lifestyle, health, relationships, culture, spirituality, people — published since 1886 |
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||
Signs of the Times Australia / NZ edition — lifestyle, health, relationships, culture, spirituality, people — published since 1886 |
||||||||||
Q: I’m more than concerned at the way my grandkids are being brought up. It seems their parents are bent on making sure their self-esteem never suffers while giving little thought to discipline. The attitude seems to be that as long as the children are happy, entertained and indulged, who cares about responsibility and respect.
A: Your children would probably say you had your turn at parenting when you brought them up and now they’re having theirs—and will bring up their children according to today’s rules and ideas.
While some values may never change and need to remain a part of parenting, the way families teach these can vary considerably. And they’re not all bad.
Some of the good things about today’s parenting practices are:
The emphasis on fostering a healthy self-esteem. This protects a child from inner feelings of shame and the groundless guilt that tended to plague earlier generations.
The focus on making good personal choices from among many available options. This encourages self-reliance and responsibility for whatever actions may follow.
The attention that is given to teamwork, both at home and in school. This helps kids learn to make a positive contribution that can be valued by other members of their group. It also helps preserve them from the misery of petty rivalries and jealousy.
And there are also some good things about being grandparents today. They have opportunities to:
Live longer than their grandparents. This gives them time to build strong friendships with their grandchildren.
Develop a closeness with their grandchildren that is different from the relationship the kids have with their parents. Free from giving directions and expecting results, grandparents can get on with listening, talking, understanding, telling stories and having fun.
Encourage good character in their grandkids. After all, regardless of the methods used to arrive at it, that’s what really counts in the end.
Extract from Signs of the Times, October 2003.
Home - Archive - Topics - Podcast - Subscribe - Special Offers - About Signs - Contact Us - Links
Copyright © 2004-2009 Seventh-day Adventist Church (SPD) Limited ACN 093 117 689
This article comes from a
regular column in
Signs
of the Times.
Questions to Deanna should be addressed to: Lifeguide, Signs of the Times, 3485 Warburton Highway, Warburton Victoria 3799, Australia