Today, my daughter was invited to a child´s birthday party. An opportunity to meet family and friends. The first thing the birthday girl asked was: “Where are my presents?”… 6 to 10 year-old kid´s sincerity is overwhelming: as soon as she opened the presents, she informed us she wasn´t interested in "High School Musical" anymore as last year (we bought some stuff related to that film). Every time a visit arrived, the question was the same and she was thrilled if the present was what she was waiting for.
Her parents made a huge effort to organize this party, as they do every year. Her mother seems to be another girl planning every detail: special food for kids, for grown-ups, candies, toys, a small swimming pool, a huge place where kids could play… My daughter´s birthday is in January, I can´t plan her party this way, so I have to hire this special services in covered spaces. It´s a different type of "sacrifice" but we all do it for our kids´ happinness.
All of it made me think if we, parents, are doing the right thing. It seems that we are offering a lot of material things, withouth thinking about the consequences. Even when you could be impressed, it is verified that children are happier if they have some references, some limits given by their parents. If we go on this way, what we are going to offer the world will be spoiled people, people that won´t be content with what they have and they will never be happy.
Today I had the opportunity to talk with some mothers while we were having lunch. I realized that all of us were worried about our children´s education. Some of them were worried about the bad behaviour that they can learn in school. In fact, what we have to worry about is what they are learning at their homes. There is the basement of all education. Children are like white sheet that imitate what they have closer: their parents or tutors. If we curse, it´s going to be difficult for them not to do the same; If we don´t correct attitudes and/or aptitudes, they will go on doing things the same way. We are their lighthouse, their guidance, their example: if we do nothing to correct the situation, we can´t complaint tomorrow if they become spoilt brats.
I´m not saying that today´s children do not deserve presents, special attentions... They are kids but not forever: later on they will have to deal with adults´responsibility. Anyhow: we have to make them understand how lucky they are, we have to guide them with understandable rules.
Today´s children, surprisingly enough, prefer more time with their parents than the last Wii game. In spite of the circumstances, I´ll do my best to share some quality time with my daughter. The reward is extraordinary: a human being more human, consistent and generous for the future and a huge smile when I´m with her...I think all of it is worth it.
Her parents made a huge effort to organize this party, as they do every year. Her mother seems to be another girl planning every detail: special food for kids, for grown-ups, candies, toys, a small swimming pool, a huge place where kids could play… My daughter´s birthday is in January, I can´t plan her party this way, so I have to hire this special services in covered spaces. It´s a different type of "sacrifice" but we all do it for our kids´ happinness.
All of it made me think if we, parents, are doing the right thing. It seems that we are offering a lot of material things, withouth thinking about the consequences. Even when you could be impressed, it is verified that children are happier if they have some references, some limits given by their parents. If we go on this way, what we are going to offer the world will be spoiled people, people that won´t be content with what they have and they will never be happy.
Today I had the opportunity to talk with some mothers while we were having lunch. I realized that all of us were worried about our children´s education. Some of them were worried about the bad behaviour that they can learn in school. In fact, what we have to worry about is what they are learning at their homes. There is the basement of all education. Children are like white sheet that imitate what they have closer: their parents or tutors. If we curse, it´s going to be difficult for them not to do the same; If we don´t correct attitudes and/or aptitudes, they will go on doing things the same way. We are their lighthouse, their guidance, their example: if we do nothing to correct the situation, we can´t complaint tomorrow if they become spoilt brats.
I´m not saying that today´s children do not deserve presents, special attentions... They are kids but not forever: later on they will have to deal with adults´responsibility. Anyhow: we have to make them understand how lucky they are, we have to guide them with understandable rules.
Today´s children, surprisingly enough, prefer more time with their parents than the last Wii game. In spite of the circumstances, I´ll do my best to share some quality time with my daughter. The reward is extraordinary: a human being more human, consistent and generous for the future and a huge smile when I´m with her...I think all of it is worth it.
(Originaly released on August 17th 2009 in http://maritza-gonzalez.blogspot.com/)
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