Parenting
They are not robots. They have minds of their own. They have wills of their own. They have ideas of their own, and dreams of their own. As much as I wish there was a way to clone myself and Ann in the lives of our children, it is ridiculously impossible to do so. At least it has been for us. We recently cleared out a bookshelf that had 8 or 10 parenting books - "How to" guides for raising children that are confident in themselves, that are responsible, helpful, and spiritually grounded. We read them all. We attempted with prayer and lots of energy to implement the strategies of the experts. But it hasn't worked yet. Twenty years into this parenting journey, anyone just looking at the lifestyle of our children would wonder about what went on in our home during their early years. Most would say if kids get into behaviors that are illegal and dangerous, it must have something to do with the parents. I know, because I used to think such thoughts. It's si