Parental Authority – Introduction

While we wait for new episodes and news from Jo’s trip down under, I thought I’d take to tackling some parenting issues. Now, I’m no expert… just a dad who’s learning as he goes. What I’m really hoping is that you’ll pop in with your thoughts and comments. That way we can all learn a bit and be better parents of our children. (Yes, I’m assuming most of you are parents.)

There are a number of issues that can be addressed, but I’m going to start with the general topic of authority. With so many of the families that Jo visits on the show a lack of authority is the first problem that needs to be addressed. The kids are terrors who have no respect for what mom and dad say. Mom and dad fill the air with empty threats and are apologetic whenever they do get around to following thru on a consequence.

Here’s an article in the Globe and Mail, that’s got me thinking.

Our mothers’ wrath could be swift and arbitrary, perhaps even, to our childish sensibilities, unfair. Yet one never heard, as one does today, on the street, or on the new parenting reality shows like Supernanny, Mommy’s pathetic apology for losing her patience with a horribly misbehaving child. Until now, any self-respecting mother felt no qualms reducing her offspring to jelly with a single raised eyebrow — if only as an exercise of her mom mystique.

Over the next few days, I’m going to share a few other thoughts about authority. I’ll draw from the show and my own learning experiences. Today, however, I’ll leave you with another quote from the article:

Could it be that our youth obsession has us so wrapped up with trying to stay “yummy,” we have forgotten that we’re actually the ones in charge?

Other posts in this series:
Parental Authority – The Four Keys to Authority
Parental Authority – Leading By Example