by Buckytat

Created on: July 08, 2010

C. Everett Koop once said “Life affords no greater responsibility, no greater privilege, than the raising of the next generation”.  Being a parent is by far one of the greatest and most rewarding positions in life.  How we raise our children today affects how they will live tomorrow.  When, if ever, does a parent stop being a parent?  Maybe never but there comes a time when a parent needs to begin to let go of raising their child and simply watch them become their own person.

There are parents who give their children everything the child wants, force them into activities the parents want and make excuses and amends for every mistake the child makes.  Is this really parenting?  When does the child ever become prepared for a life of independence?  The answer is never, in which case the parents are forced to be “parents” their entire life due to parenting choices they adopted early on.

In Proverbs there is a verse that says “Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”  This is such a great guideline for parents to look to.  If you take time and energy and show love and care in raising your child toward independence, chances are you will get an independent adult.  Teenagers and young adults often do everything contrary to what they have been taught by their parents but this is the time for a parent to begin to let go.  If a parent teaches personal responsibility by setting boundaries, sticking to consequences, teaching and expecting help with household chores, etc. their children will remember those lessons as the parent lets go and the child must stand on their own two feet.  Good manners, thinking ahead to consequences of choices to be made, consideration of others, these all go a long way as well; if taught in youth, they will resurface when a young adult must face the world alone.

Although parents are parents for life, if they have taken advantage of this great responsibility and privilege, they can come to point that they will be able to sit back and proudly watch their children grow.  We often want to look to our parents for advice or a pat on the back as we get older and when our parents have been able to let go of actually parenting, the benefits of the parent/child relationship are two-fold.

Learn more about this author, Buckytat.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.