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Significant numbers of young people today are yearning for
el
ose
relationships of a more permanent nature than
they've experienced in their own families. These young people are not
taking becoming a parent so lightly as their parents did.
old-fashioned parents'? Listen to
what Robert Coles, one of the
Uni ted States' most eminent and
influential chi ld psychiatrists had
to say about today's parents in a
recent interview in
U.S. News
&
World Report:
" Many parents are afraid to
bring up their children on their
own- with their own convictions
and their own moral faith."
Mr . Coles a rgues that too
many of today's parents are sclf–
centered. They have no commit–
ment to anyth ing greater tha n
themselves. " ... parents have
abdicated a higher vision, wheth–
er it be rel igious or political, and
thcy no longer bel ieve, rcally, in a
nat ional purpose. Having turned
away from both God and country,
they are left with themselves–
thei r own comforts."
What an indictment upon our
materialist ic Western socicty.
Happily sorne dare to practice
what is termed "old-fashioned"
parenting no matter what the cur–
rent thought of thei r contempo–
rar ies. And sorne believe, out of
this mishmash of modern, social
change, the old-fashioned family
will make a comeback. S igni fi–
cant numbers of young pcople
today are yearning for close rela–
tionships of a more permanent
nature than they've experienced
in t heir own families. These
yo ung peopl e are not taki ng
becoming a parent so lightly as
their parents d id . To those young
people this article is dedicated.
1t 's written by one reared by
old-fashioned parents to encour–
age any o f you who may one day
dare to challenge the system and,
against overwhelming odds, be–
come the next generation's old–
fashioned parents.
32
1 had old-fashioned parents.
Wed as teenagers, they had to be
separated temporari ly du ring the
war years, s uffered toget he r
through loss of work and thus
income a t times, an d never
acquired great material wealth.
Yet their mar riage survived and
their relationship matured and
was s trengthened through it all.
As children we weren't pres–
sured toward success at any cost,
a nd certain ly no t at o t her's
expense . My paren ts quiet ly
expected we wou ld be successful
in whatever worthy ventures we
might choose. Good books werc
always available, but not pushed .
Cheap, sensati onal o r vulgar
material was not allowed. Our
lives were fi lled with ar t, music
and voice lessons, Scouts, school
ba nd , fa mily act iviti es a nd
spor ts.
Emotional maturity, courage,
honesty, thr ift, love for God and
country were in s is t ed upon .
Those who did not value these
same principies were not to be
emulated, no matter their status,
economically, politically or social–
ly.
Though rearcd in a geographic
environment of ethn ic and reli–
gious bigotry, wc were taught to
abhor prejudice against our fel–
lowman .
My parents had t ime for us.
Time to teach how to cook and
sew, how to catch and throw a
baseball, how to play a ser ies of
parla r games, how to drive a car
and shoot a gun, how lo ride a
horse and catch a fish.
There was time to encourage
whatever new interest, time to gel
involved in school aclivities, t ime
to personally acquaint us with
God.
Discipline wasn't a dirty word.
But abuse was. lf my parenls
didn't always fairly mete ou t cor–
rection, they were so merci ful in
so many instanccs, we couldn't
honestly complain. We didn't fear
our parents- we feared to dis–
obey "them.
Father and mother had us con–
vinced that any child of theirs
must be rather special. After all
we were certainly special to them.
Home was a haven of love and
protection against the sometimes
cruel world. Old-fashioned par–
ents made it that way.
We moved as a unit, worked
toget her, played together and
prayed together, trite as this may
seem to many. We were solidly
acquainted with gra ndparents on
both sides of the family, and
uncles a nd aunts and cousins.
From this stable nurturi ng core
we adventured wi thout fear into
life, fully confident of our support
system- fashioned by our par–
ents.
Our parents had no college or
universi ty- level t ra ining in c hild
psychology. They had on ly their
own experience and backgrounds
to draw from. Their only guide–
book was the Bible.
lf there is a backlash develop–
ing against the moral and ethical
downs lide so prevalen t in ou r
Western world, all of us, no mal–
ter what generat ion, should sup–
port ever y fl edgl ing attempl
toward that goal. For the sake of
the future well-being of mankind,
we must.
The Creator God does not take
the responsibilities of child rear–
ing and the maintaining of st rong
family ties lightly. After all , he
created this oldest of social insti–
tut ions- the
FAMILY. O
The
PLAIN TRUTH