Should we chain our
children to the bedpost until they reach adulthood? Should we shield them from all
negative influences until they can make mature decisions?
When Dr. Willis Tate was at Southern Methodist University in
Dallas, Texas, he told of a mother who gallantly tried to protect her son. She wrote a
long letter to Dr. Tate about her son who was coming to enroll as a freshman. She wanted
the president to make sure that the boy had a "good" roommate who would
encourage him to go to church and not use bad language. She did not want the roommate to
smoke or otherwise negatively influence her son.
But the mother's
closing remarks make the letter unforgettable: "The reason all of this is so
important is that it is the first time my boy has been away from home, except for the
three years he spent in the Marines."
Parents want to protect their children. But perhaps more
importantly, most parents want their children to develop sufficient inner resources to
protect themselves in potentially destructive situations. They want to equip them to be
independent, to make responsible decisions on their own.
Which means that, as their children grow into adulthood, parents must gradually learn to
give up thinking that they can protect them and endeavor more to love them. And isn't love
really what children of any age truly need from their parents?
Steve Goodier Publisher@LifeSupportSystem.com
is a professional speaker, consultant and author of numerous books. Visit his site for
more information, or to sign up for his FREE newsletter of Life, Love and Laughter at http://LifeSupportSystem.com
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