Stranger Than Most

by SUSAN LAUTZ, LPC 

Parenting is all about power. And it’s crucial to realize that you have it all. Everything that kid eats, wears, plays with or rides in comes from you and you can grant or withhold it at will. Most modern parents don’t accept this. They operate from a position of weakness, professing the belief that their job is to raise the happiest, smartest and most well-dressed children in the history of the world.

Wrong! Your job isn’t to raise children at all. Your job is to create fully-functional adults. Then let them go, to make you grandchildren which you ARE allowed to spoil (on a limited basis.)

Let’s take the example of the $200 shoes. No kid needs them unless he’s competing in the Olympics or making billions of dollars in the entertainment industry. So when your kid asks for them, the answer should be “No,” stated without a shred of guilt or hesitation, followed up with, “The day you earn $200 you can decide if you want to buy a pair of shoes with it.” (Hint: He probably won’t.)