Yo u r R o le a s a Pa re n t
Gosh, this is a tough one. You have a role and it is important,
but how do we define it, make it real for you, so that you can
live by it, put it into practice?
If you are crazy enough to take on the role of parent, then you
are signing an invisible contract with your children to give and
get them the very best of everything you can. And I don’t nec-
essarily mean material possessions. Your mission, should you
choose to accept it, is to be all that the very best parenting
requires. You will be encouraging, supportive, kind, patient,
educational, loyal, honest, caring, and loving.
Yo u w i l l h a v e t o m a k e s u r e t h e y e a t t h e b e s t f o o d f o r d e v e l o p-
ing children. You will supply them with the best education for
their talents and skills. You will aim to develop their interests
in all areas and not just the ones you are keen on. You will set
clear boundaries so they know what’s what, and what they can
and can’t do—and with clear and acceptable levels of disci-
pline should they overstep the mark. You will adjust your
degree of supervision to match their age—little ones need
closer supervision than big ones. You will always provide a
safe haven for them to come home to—no matter how much
trouble they’ve got themselves into in the big bad world
outside.
Yo u w i l l b e f i r m , l o v i n g , s h a r i n g , c a r i n g , a n d r e s p o n s i b l e. Yo u
will set them standards and be a role model to them. You won’t
do or say anything you wouldn’t be proud of them knowing.
Yo u w i l l s t a n d u p f o r t h e m , p r o t e c t t h e m , a n d k e e p t h e m s a f e.