Every now and then I’ll get on my “soapbox”…today just
happens to be one of those days! ;-) We live in a society full of
“enablers”…you know, people who approve,
facilitate, make excuses for, authorize
and give the “okay” to other people’s actions; regardless of whether those
actions are good or bad. You see this lapse
in judgment everywhere you go…parents with their children, friends with other
friends, spouses with each other…the list goes on and on. My husband and I have
always told our kids, “we will always love you, but right is right and wrong is
WRONG”; it’s called INTEGRITY folks. Integrity is the adherence to moral and
ethical principles, soundness of moral character, a sound, unimpaired
condition; simply put…honesty! As a
parent, I WILL NOT
look the other way when I see you do something wrong. Children cannot and should not raise themselves! We as leaders, whether parents, teachers or adults period, MUST BE an example AT ALL TIMES. Otherwise, “our” children will be left to fend for themselves…which we know cannot and should not be done. What happened to the day when Mrs. So and So down the street made sure she told your parents when she saw you misbehave, better yet, she scolded you herself and TOLD YOU, she was going to tell your parents! :-) Ahhhh, good ole’ Mrs. So and So…society sure does miss you! Is it just me, or am I the ONLY one who sees the kid sprawled on the floor in the grocery store, screaming their head off, as their parents unassumingly compare the price of Gain to the generic brand? Or the parent who is constantly called into the principal’s office because of their child’s disruptive behavior…that they refuse to nip in the bud. Or, the parent in juvenile court who insist, “no, not my child”…even though this is his/her, not 1st, 2nd or 3rd, but 4TH shoplifting charge…REALLY? No, we may not personally be able to do anything about those particular situations, but we can let them be lessons to us on what NOT to do! Where does it stop? With us, that’s where! We can’t sit back and complain if we’re not going to be a part of the solution. Children DO what they SEE. We can’t be shocked when they lie…if they see us lie, or when they disrespect adults…if they see us disrespect authority. We can no longer put our heads in the sand and expect the "other" person to do it...we ALL must do our part. All of us (this includes myself), must do our part to insure we’re not enablers to other people’s bad behavior! Have a GREAT day! ;-) Titus 2: 7, 8
All Rights Reserved copyright© 2012 Michell Pulliam “Prowess and Pearls” Devotionals by Michell Pulliam
look the other way when I see you do something wrong. Children cannot and should not raise themselves! We as leaders, whether parents, teachers or adults period, MUST BE an example AT ALL TIMES. Otherwise, “our” children will be left to fend for themselves…which we know cannot and should not be done. What happened to the day when Mrs. So and So down the street made sure she told your parents when she saw you misbehave, better yet, she scolded you herself and TOLD YOU, she was going to tell your parents! :-) Ahhhh, good ole’ Mrs. So and So…society sure does miss you! Is it just me, or am I the ONLY one who sees the kid sprawled on the floor in the grocery store, screaming their head off, as their parents unassumingly compare the price of Gain to the generic brand? Or the parent who is constantly called into the principal’s office because of their child’s disruptive behavior…that they refuse to nip in the bud. Or, the parent in juvenile court who insist, “no, not my child”…even though this is his/her, not 1st, 2nd or 3rd, but 4TH shoplifting charge…REALLY? No, we may not personally be able to do anything about those particular situations, but we can let them be lessons to us on what NOT to do! Where does it stop? With us, that’s where! We can’t sit back and complain if we’re not going to be a part of the solution. Children DO what they SEE. We can’t be shocked when they lie…if they see us lie, or when they disrespect adults…if they see us disrespect authority. We can no longer put our heads in the sand and expect the "other" person to do it...we ALL must do our part. All of us (this includes myself), must do our part to insure we’re not enablers to other people’s bad behavior! Have a GREAT day! ;-) Titus 2: 7, 8
All Rights Reserved copyright© 2012 Michell Pulliam “Prowess and Pearls” Devotionals by Michell Pulliam
Woah! Great Word! I will definitely keep this in mind when I have children one day!
ReplyDelete;-))!
ReplyDeleteThis is a fantastic reassurance of my stance on the issue of enablers coddling everyone’s emotions. I am a single full-time father for the past 8 years, my two daughters, ages 9 & 11, hear on a daily bases, what’s right is right, and what’s wrong is wrong.
ReplyDeleteIt got to the point where a conversation took place on what “is considered” right and what “is considered wrong. This is where I want to thank you. I will add the word integrity to better articulate to my young ladies, the fundamentals of human integrity. I’ll finish with this. You are not Alone.