The New Children

You have, regrettably, been raised in a culture that tolerates and even encourages half-truths in order to maintain the status quo.

Compliance is love, and shows that you have been raised properly.

Much of this makes for pleasant and uneventful interactions, but falsehoods are still falsehoods. To comply without question is to perpetuate the cycle.

This has been the normal way of life for your civilization for millenia.

Now, the new children are here.  Some call them brats and blame their non-compliant behavior on poor parenting.

The truth is, they are here to help you. They have come to expose the lies, prejudices and cruelties that you have accepted and lived with for so long. 

They are frustrated by injustice and dishonesty, and will tell you that if you look beyond what society expects of them and listen.

You believe children must be trained to be obedient and have the “badness” punished and beaten out of them, or perhaps a doctor can prescribe a pill that will calm them and make them listen. You worry about what their behavior says about you. 

Some misbehavior cannot be tolerated, but try to look beyond your emotions when deciding what to do about it. They might just have something to teach you.

If you were drowning and someone threw you a rope, would you sever it because it splashed you or hit you in the face. Then would you hold the broken piece in your hand and say, “Yes, success! This rope will never hit me in the face again!” 

Today’s children are your rope. Do not cut them off and render them useless.

This is not to say that children should be spoiled and not taught discipline. Like all people, children need healthy boundaries. 

 

If you must discipline a child, first consider, “Are they being rude, or just very honest? Are they being naughty or does their energy come at an inconvenient time? Are they misbehaving, or just bored or frustrated? 

Give to the children in your care what you yourself would want. Respect and understanding are about setting and enforcing healthy boundaries; keeping promises and demonstrating fairness.

Honesty is about listening to and telling the truth, even if it is uncomfortable or inconvenient.

There are many contradictions in your society.  It can be a very confusing place for a child to grow up.

Often when you are frustrated with them, they are dealing with their own struggles and frustrations. Be firm, but be kind and you will win their respect and cooperation.

Remember always, that you are in this together. You can help each other if you are brave enough to accept their help. 

Hold on to that  rope! Your rescuers are here! ~Silas