Whole family exits, looking for parenting help
Date: December 20, 2004 12:57AM
Hi C & R :
How goes it with yourself and your children? Holidays can be rough.
Have you seen the DVD "Devil's Playground"? About Amish kids who decide whether to leave or remain. Excellent depiction, IMHO, of the issues involved.
Local libraries, schools, adult ed programs, etc also have classes on effective parenting. Obviously you did not learn such from your upbringing! sigh. Me neither.
Yes, likewise, had to grow up with my now-grown children. I sought as much outside parenting-education information as I could. And I made some mistakes too -- and how! Still, they are grown young adults now, self sufficient, kind, motivated and amazingly they still like me!
You CAN do it. I built my new-support system through other involved parents in the kids' activity world... sports, etc. In my experince the other parents who spend their 'free' time at the side of the soccer field, swim meets, audience of kids' drama performances, volunteer in the schools, are generally folks with similar values as they live them. They are supporting the next generation to have the skills and independence to move onward. (You won't bond with all these families, of course, but you could find a few, at least I did)
These adults became the subsitute extended family for my children; we supported each other through the various shared trials as our kids did their teenage experiementings, etc. (oi!)
It takes time. Nothing real is the instant community support that is falsely experienced in the cult.
Good Luck, and Blessings to you and family this holiday season,
t