Several times per week, I watch two young boys, ages 13 and 11. This may in fact be the reason I was so in denial about the possibility of carrying a boy. As much as I adore these two young men, their attitudes and outlook on life make me very nervous, not only for their parent, but society in general. It seems to be a common trend...lack of morals, creativity, ambition, and compassion.
In almost every encounter I have with young children and teenagers, I leave concerned. A bright and sunny day, perfect temperature...when you ask if they want to go play, "No, what's there to do outside?" What ever happened to child-like play or imagination? On so many occasions, I find myself repeating to them "I'm not a constant source of entertainment...nor should your Nintendo Wii be." With technology at its peak, I'm concerned at the role media sources have on children...have we allowed them to become our babysitters?
Constantly, I tell myself that Mike and I will be positive role models and raise productive and hard-working children that will contribute to our society, not drain it. It's scary though to think about how much time children are away from their parents and how strong the influence of peers, television, internet, and video games can be. We don't live in a family friendly world. The option of having one person home is nearly impossible in this day and time...how do you regulate and continue to be the primary role model?
I hope our son can someday understand how hard we work and how our challenges have ultimately made us and continue to make us better people. I hope to raise him to be a leader and to not cave in to social pressures. I also hope he has a combination of Mike's kind heart and compassion and my aggressive, ambitious attitude.
To me, parenting is going to be the most important opportunity we have to change the world. To take a life and help mold it into someone that can make a positive difference. I'm looking forward to taking on this task and cannot wait to meet our little boy.
Hear hear! These are the same issues I've been grappling with and/or complaining about since I found out I was pregnant. Maybe the answer is setting up a commune for like-minded families :)
ReplyDelete