It Just Gets My Goat...!

Warning: This blogger is about to go on a bit of a rant... proceed at your own risk!

To put it mildly, it really gets my goat when parents forget to be parents and try to just be friends with their children. I am not talking about all-grown-up children, because in my mind being able to be friends with your parents once you reach adulthood is one of the greatest perks in life. That's something completely different than what I'm talking about.

It's ridiculous when a parent forgets they have a responsibility to raise a functioning member of society. When they believe it's okay to be their child's buddy all the time. Kids are kids, for crying out loud, not little adults in disguise. They need someone to teach them right from wrong. Someone to show them life has rules and consequences and that it's damn hard sometimes, but perseverance pays off in the end. Not everyone always makes the ball team, or gets a trophy when they lose.

That's life, honey, so you better get used to it.

This has been a bit of a hot topic around our household for the last few weeks. We have a family member who has allowed the line between parenting and friendship to blur (that is if it's ever really existed - which is another debate altogether) with her own child. They are now getting a taste of what Teenager-ville is going to be like when there hasn't been true parenting present for... well, for forever.

We had the privilege of hosting a visit to this teenager-quickly-filling-with-angst during spring break and saw a child craving attention. We believe it's not too late to get things back on track, but DH and I are afraid that won't happen unless the visit becomes permanent. And, trust me, we'll do it in a heartbeat if given the opportunity. But the gloves come off in our home. We don't pull too many punches and believe in parenting first and foremost.

Aren't we just so Ozzie and Harriet with a little bit of holier-than-thou sprinkled in for good measure...?

We aren't perfect by any means. Heck, just ask our own DD and she'll tell you! She'll probably even give you an itemized list of our faults if you want. Then again, so will we. We aren't perfect, and we teach our DD that no one is perfect, but it's okay to strive for perfection and that falling short is okay... as long as you try. In short, we parent her.

It's our job.

It's our responsibility.

And it's our honor to parent our DD.

We just wish everyone felt the same way about being a parent.

You may now return to your regularly scheduled reading...