Spring Break
Rattails: Commenting on poor parenting
Abstract:
We've all seen "that kid." The one with the long braided patch of hair flowing elegantly behind the rest of his short- trimmed head, and most of us dreamed of having one of these forbidden hairdos as children. But in retrospect, why did most of us avoid ever having one? This question has plagued me for many restless nights, and I have come up with two possible conclusions: kids with rattails were either the product of lazy parenting, or they were disaster children with a taste for trouble....
- Displaying 1 - 1 of 1
- Displaying 1 - 1 of 1
Anna
posted 1/05/09 @ 11:16 AM PST
Growing up both of my children experimented with different ways of being. We have been through rattails, blue hair, henna tatoos, oversized clothing, neat dress and sloppy dress, school pride and apathey as well as many other things. It is the job of a parent to keep their children safe while teaching them right from wrong, the golden rule and how to be a genuine good person. It is the job of kids to try on as many different hats as they can to find out who they are, how they fit into the world and how to walk toward their futures.
Children need boundaries and rules. What they don't need are overbearing parents who are so strict that kids can't learn to think and feel for themselves. We were careful about what our kids watched, how much time they spent playing computer games and they had chores to keep up. Today one kid is a senior about to graduate in criminal justice. One is a senior about to graduate in archeology. Both are truly good people who care about their communities, families, friends and others around them. Both are pursuing their passions toward careers that matter to them while finding ways to give back to the world.
I say, let them grow rattails!