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It amazes me how our culture acceptably treats children. Publicly shaming them on street corners forcing them to hold signs that tell the world their "mistakes", screaming at them when they don't conform, using physical force to demand submission and ordering them around like slaves, using carrots on sticks to achieve desired performance like they're animals being trained in a circus. Most people have no problem treating children this way yet would NEVER allow themselves or another adult to be. Parents who bully their kids then have kids who bully kids at school, then punish their kids for treating other people how THEY have been treated at home and wonder why we have a bullying epidemic! Then they watch the news at night and say "Damn punks! If that kids parents had beat his ass more, he wouldn't be doin' that shit!"
Oh yes, I'm sure it's because they weren't abused ENOUGH!!
We can deny it all we want, but treating children, the most fragile among us, in this way is WRONG. Yes, you can parent however you CHOOSE and it doesn't have to be the same way I DO, HOWEVER, we do NOT get the luxury of "choosing" to use physical force or bulling any adult in our culture without legal action so why is it ok for CHILDREN??? Instead of seeking quick fixes to meet the needs of the adults, we should be seeking to educate ourselves to be the best parents we can be and loving our children in the way the DESERVE. Just like WE all deserved. The cycles of abuse will never end unless we end it. Is it easy to parent in more conscious, peaceful and connected manner if you were not raised in that way? No. It takes determination, trial and error and a lot of forgiving yourself in the process. Parenting is NEVER "easy". But if we truly want to see a change in our world, than it's high time we start at the roots and show the children that they deserve better. We ALL do. They don't deserve to become the product of our OWN damage. We are worthy of healing and they are worthy of respect. I make mistakes EVERY day. I am NOT a perfect parent. But as Maya Angelo said... "When we know better, we do better."
It's time for us to do better. It's time for us to heal, to love and forgive ourselves and It's time to treat children with the equal respect and love they deserve.
