Where do people go astray? As parents our goal should be to raise good people. Is it our fault when that doesn't happen? Can we take credit for it when it does? I think in many cases, the answer is yes, at least in part. The environment in which a child is raised has many contributing factors. Parents and other family members will most certainly play a large role in shaping the development of children when they are very young. As children get older and start school and other activities which introduce other people and circumstances, there are many more influences to contend with. Our goal as parents should be to set the standards for right and wrong and to give our children a good foundation and moral code of conduct right from the start. We should strive to impart the best of ourselves on our kids and hope that we can raise good, responsible people who will then do the same with their kids someday, If this were true all the time, there would be nothing but peace and harmony in our world. Since that is clearly not the case, we have to ask ourselves why? It can be very difficult for those who try to do the right thing to understand why there are so many people in this world who do not.
How do we explain the world we currently live in to our young children. It seems like recently there is one crisis after another which can make it difficult to keep a positive outlook. The situations we are faced with certainly shape us as well. A global pandemic, a war, natural disasters and just "regular" crime is what we now live with on a daily basis. We can't have any control over mother nature but at the root of the other terrible events are what most would consider bad people. People who thrive on power, control and hurting anything or anyone in their path. How does someone get like this? Was that person neglected or abused as a child? Was there a traumatic event which shaped their path moving forward. Could is just be character traits and personality which they were born with? Is it genetic and not learned behavior? Some studies on adoption speak strongly to the fact that the environment in which someone is raised has less impact on the type of person they will be than their actual DNA. Desperation does not necessarily breed negativity nor does excess breed positivity. However, as the most evolved species, one would expect human nature to prevail and that we should inherently respect each other and the rights we have as human beings.
So how do we deal with the bullies, the criminals, and those who's power trips and egos allow them to do things to hurt others without a second thought? Do we stoop to their level? Do we allow ourselves to be taken advantage of or hurt? There is definitely something wrong with the saying... "Nice guys finish last", but we do see this play out in society over and over again. "Nice guys" (and gals) deserve to finish first. One should never compromise the morals and virtue you have when faced with an adversary who is corrupt. We need to raise our children to recognize right from wrong, and to stand up for themselves whenever necessary. The bullies of the world at whatever level need to be stopped. I wish I knew how to do that. I think if we as parents, do our best to show our kids how to be honest and kind, it's a start. There should be consequences for bad behavior, especially when innocent people are hurt by it. We will never all agree on what the appropriate conduct should be by every person in every situation, but I think there is a pretty clear right and wrong way to handle most things. Let's show our kids the right way, how to recognize the wrong way and how not to go astray.
We need to show our kids how to be genuine and value other people. We need to show them how to maintain good values even in tough situations or when dealing with difficult people. We need to raise kind humans!🙏🏻
