*November 9th*

It is good for us to remember that so many parents these days are suffering a particular heartache in the process of curbing our children's unmanageable behavior. That is, that our sons and daughters poor decisions are initially changed by our parental enforcing "consequences", rather than by our reasonable and caring attempts to "explain" and "reason" with them.

It is so easy for we fathers and mothers to take this personally. Yet, I encourage you to remember that there is something different about our society in this day in time. Rebellion has a complexity to it now, that did not exist in many years past. As you've heard, our struggle is not so much with our children, than it is a struggle against a system that supports our children to rebel against us defiantly."

Find and use the support you need as a dad or mom. Remember, don't insist that you do this "parenting thing" alone. Sometimes you need others to build you up to your rightful authoritative position in the eyes of your children. One of many reasons for this, is because society, especially Western society, has created a Pseudo Individualism that is supposed to be the answer to all things, but instead brings many to fall.

"I pray for humility to accept the fact that I need help, and for the firmness of purpose to take action to get it. I ask for the aid of others, as well as from God, in striving for a better way of succeeding high above the challenges of my life."

[Written by Jim Hogue, MA, MFTI /
Supervisor: Peter Mosgofian, MA, MFT ]