POSITIVE PARENTING – HARD WORK

\"\"We live in a time of economic turmoil. On a daily basis we read and hear in the news of people who are losing or who have lost their main means of employment. Right now the unemployment rate is 9% nationwide. The Occupy Wall Street protests that are going on throughout the world demonstrates that many are desperate and that times will likely get worse before they get better.

As positive parents we all worry what we will do if our main place of employment closes its doors. I am very lucky. The job I’ve had has lasted for almost 25 years and it looks like I may get to the point where I will be able to retire in about 5 or 6 years. My past includes a period of time when I wasn’t working. It was during the time when I lived in Cleveland, Ohio. I lived there for about 13 years, from 1972 to about 1985. It was during this time when many of the nation’s top industries were closing or moving to Mexico or Europe or the Far East. I saw, first hand, what a ripple effect due to economic turmoil looks like.

Here in the east coast, specifically NYC, we are just beginning to feel the pain of economic turmoil. In that part of the country (I call Ohio part of the Midwest) people have been struggling for many years. There are many cities in Ohio and in the remainder of the country that have become ghost towns because the main source of employment has left or closed.

At one point in time in our country’s history people took pride in what was produced here. It is difficult find many things that are now made here. It is not uncommon that many of the products that we use every day are made in some other part of the world.  Despite this there seems to be a new movement that highlights things being made in America.

It was during those times of our country’s past that hard work and determination were the catch phrases every one used. It is important that we do not move away from these basic principles. Now more than ever, we as positive parents must continue to instill these ideals in our children.

Even though we are now in the electronic age, our kids must work hard to be able to compete. After all this new age has made the world a much smaller place and the competition is not just with those in this country. Our kids are competing with other kids from all over the globe.

My dad has taught me that hard work is the foundation for success. Success is a relative term. Success for one could be to earn one million dollars. Success for another could be to overcome an eating disorder. Despite the goal, hard work is the only way to reach it.

Since our kids watch us more closely than they listen to us, we must show them how to positively work (there are ways to get this done without burnout) and we must also show them the rewards.

The other thing that my dad taught me is that we are only responsible for the effort not the result. I interpret this as meaning that I must give it my all, at all times because it is by doing this that I have the potential to become the best person that I can be.

I LOVE BEING A DAD!!

 

 

 

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