By Dr James Dobson
Whose fault is it when a child goes bad? Who gets the blame when adolescents skip school, or spray graffiti on a bridge, or begin to experiment with drugs?
In the opinion of some people, parents are inevitably responsible for the misbehaviour of their teenagers, and certainly, many deserve that criticism. Some of them are alcoholics, child abusers, or they otherwise damage their kids in some way. But I think it's time we admitted that the sons and daughters of some very loving, caring parents can go astray too. A hundred years ago, if a kid went bad, he was a bad kid. Now it's the fault of his dear old mum and dad who "mishandled his childhood". Well, maybe; and maybe not.
Teenagers are old enough to make some irresponsible choices of their own, and they must share the consequences of their mistakes and failures.
Am I trying to take bad parents off the hook and make them feel better for their shortcomings? No. But I do want to speak on behalf of those good-as-gold mums and dads who did the best they could. They deserve a pat on the back, not a slap in the face.
From TODAY, Voices – Monday, 28-Sep-2009
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