Day 5: Im grateful that I have kids that write affirming status updates about Jim and me ❤️ Zach Sloane 23 mins · Westham, VA · As I approach the portion of my life involving making my own family, maybe within the next 5-10 years, Im trying to piece together the marks of a successful parent and Ive come to realize there are three major things Clare and Jim did perfectly while raising us that I know are absolutely right and I will also do as best as I can. One: Age-Dependent Transparency. This means that for however old your child is, be as transparent/honest with them as possible in such a way that they retain the wonders of childhood like Santa Clause, magic, and not paying rent, while also learning life lessons along the way like saving money but donating to charity and how to be sympathetic towards people with mental illness, etc. They were very real with us about tough situations, but allowed us to have the best childhood possible growing up. We also got to see rated R movies a couple years early because lets be honest, youre going to hear rated R language when youre 15, so know how to be mature about it. Two: Optimism with a touch of reality. No matter what situation we were in, my parents could spin a lesson learned from it and give us a good perspective during hard times. At the same time, whenever we had a passion/interest growing up (and man, did we have some weird ones), they supported us no matter what and let us continue to discover and learn on our own, instead of telling us no, heres why, think of something else. Failing on your own helps you 10 times more in the long run and Mom and Dad knew that. But the reality kicked in when they had to steer us away from dangerous situations, and thats also very important. Three: Discipline. Since when did punishment completely fall off the map? Disrespectful? Go to your room. Not completing a reasonable request? No allowance. Tantrum? No Nintendo for a week. I know I was the hardest one for them in this category and at times a few days later they wanted to give me back Nintendo, but I learned from them the importance of sticking to punishments and keeping things in check like not having too much candy and being healthier as well. Though we dont understand why its so bad at the time, we gradually learn and it shapes the way we see situations and approach them later. You cant have things just handed to you. You absolutely cant. You have to work hard, because otherwise, how will you have a foundation to provide your kids with successful opportunities and the ability to support their kids? *queue the lion king circle of life music* Anyway, thanks Mom and Dad for teaching me how to give you less spoiled grandchildren who will say thank you, pick up their garbage, watch the way they treat others, support their friends in tough times, and love the same way their parents loved them.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 15:18:22 +0000
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