Why this abundance of parenting books and classes?
Are we doing it all wrong?
Is our generation different then previous generations?
Why isn’t love enough anymore?
Modern parents are facing challenges that were unheard of 50, 60 years ago. Technology has developed so quickly in the past 100 years we can hardly stop for a breath. We are more affluent and have more opportunities and more choices than our grandparents ever had. The dynamics of families have changed for better or for worse.
One of the most significant changes though, that we may have overlooked, is that for the most part duty and obedience was the cultural value of most of the world pre-1950. People throughout the ages have never liked being told what to do by their superiors but it wasn’t socially acceptable to give into your baser instincts of not following a direct command. However, questioning of authority and even defiance is an encouraged and elevated value in our culture today. The cultural value of questioning authority coupled with the natural instinct to resist direct commands (which one no longer needs to suppress) has created and explosive situation for parents and children. Interactions between parents and children are more complex and more difficult to manage. An authoritarian style that had been used for centuries in raising and teaching children worked successfully in a world that valued duty and obedience. But it is not a viable method with this generation. Children bombarded with mixed messages are confused and are “not listening”. Parents, are left without the proper tools to raise and teach.
Our generation is no different than our ancestors. We want to relate, express our love and instill our values in our children. We just need find new ways to do it.
Come join us for our workshops where we explore new and exciting ways to communicate and connect with our children.
Ginott, H. (1971). Between Parent and Teenager. NY: Avon Books.
Ginott, H. (1972). Teacher and Child. NY: Avon Books.