Parents: Don't Screw-up Your Kids

I was recently in Pacific Beach, California and was fortunate to have a great hotel room overlooking the ocean and boardwalk...I thought. Well, truly it was a blessing, but I was haunted by watching so many parents with their little children, who didn't seem to have mastered parenthood at all. So here is what I saw. A perfect looking Mom and Dad walking the expensive stroller down the boardwalk, crammed with toys, food, blankets, umbrellas etc. Their two-something year old little boy was throwing a tantrum wanting out of his straps holding him into the stroller. The frustrated Mom walks to the front of the stroller, puts her face about ten inches from the screaming little boy and she started screaming, "I said to stop this right now! You are going to sit there and like it! Do you hear me?!!" Dad, looking embarrassed on the boardwalk walks up to the stroller, unhooked the little kicking guy, places him on his shoulder, and begins to pat the little whimpering boy on the back. This infuriated Mom and she started yelling, "this is why he is so awful! You spoil him rotten and never support me!!" Oh my goodness!!! And we think we know how to get world peace?.... So here is the next seen. I was in Colorado for a family reunion. I watched my nephew notice, across the room, his little thirteen-month-old throwing a fit because she didn't want to be held by another relative. He calmly walked over and asked if the relative needed a little help. She willingly released the crying baby to her daddy. Dad pulled his phone from his pocket and showed the baby a picture of herself. She immediately smiled and within seconds a began laughing. I know you are smart enough to see the wisdom within these two stories and how they demonstrate StarShine Guiding Principle #8: Practice Connect versus Convince; Exercise Compassion versus Judgement, Love versus Fear Every parent needs parent training. We don't know what we are doing until we have already made a lifetime of mistakes. Little behavioral changes completely dissolves stress for everyone, including those watching! We only know what we know.. And that makes us act how we act. .....God blesses you. Trish McCarty