Do parents owe to their children anything?

Do parents owe to their children anything? Yes, they owe them a great deal.

One of their chief duties is to give their children a sense of personal worth, for self-respect is the basis of a good mental health. A youngster who is often made to feel stupid and unworthy, often compared to brighter brothers, sisters, or cousins, will become so unsure, so afraid of failing, that he won’t try at all. Of course, they should be corrected when they do wrong; this is the way children learn. But the criticisms should be balanced with praises, preferably with a smile and a kiss. No child is ever too old to be hugged.

Parents owe their children a comfortable feeling about their bodies, and enough information about sex to balance the wrong information that they will surely receive from their friends.

Parents owe their children privacy and respect for their personal belongings. This means not borrowing their things without permission, not reading their diaries and mails, not looking through their purses, pockets, and drawers. If a mother feels that she must read her daughter’s diary to know what is going on, the communication between them must be pretty bad.

Parents owe their children a set of solid values around which to build their lives. This means teaching them to respect the rights and opinions of others; it means being respectful to elders, to teachers and to the law. The best way to teach such values is by example. A child who is lied to will lie. A child who sees his parents steal tools from the factory or towels from a hotel will think that it is all right to steal. A youngster who sees no laughter and on love in the home will have a difficult time laughing  and loving.

No child asks to be born. If you bring a life into the world, you owe the child something. And if you give him his due, he’ll have something of value to pass along to your grandchildren.