Who Says You’re a Good Parent?

Letter Carrier with Child in Mailbag (Photo credit: Smithsonian Institution)

Are you a good parent?

It’s the question on all of our minds… and we really want to say ‘yes.’  But has it ever occurred to you that the answer to that question depends, in large part, on who you ask.  Think about it…

The “smalls” often give an A+ grade to any parent who:

• serves ice cream for breakfast,
• doesn’t care about bedtime, and
• provides continuous access to cartoons.

Elementary school kids might award highest honors to parents who:

• believes them when they report they  “don’t have any homework”
• run interference with any teacher who dares to disagree
• and are certain the soccer coach plays “favorites”

By middle school the stakes are higher; the “three c’s” come to mind:

• cell phones
• credit cards and
• curfews (the later the better, right?)

Silly?  Not really.  Far too many of us allow our definition of “good parenting” to come from the kids.

Unfortunately, they’re not yet equipped to make that judgement.