Over the years, but especially in the past year since my son was born, I have had many a conversation that’s resolution was “yeah, but (insert pronoun here) turned out alright”. And every time it’s said I have to questions if that’s actually true and by who’s standards is “alright”.
Sure you found a suitable mate and had a prodigy, or you graduated from college, or med-school even, you have a successful career, and all the boxes checked, but are you alright?
You have horrible anxiety & depression that require extreme pharmaceutical drugs to manage, you spend a large percentage of your time staring at a screen, you have horrible stomach problems, you were diagnosed with cancer in your 30s, you aren’t actually happy. The list goes on.
So when we start to discuss our children and the parenting choices we make, screen time, food choices, education, etc. And we say yeah but you turned out alright, in spite of making (blank) decision, I have to question if that’s true or not.
Don’t worry, I’m not blaming parents. I’m pretty sure I’m messing up my son every day in some way or another. But who is to blame, and when are we going to stop making excuses and demand better for our children?
When are we going to see the writing on the wall, that society has taken a turn that is not creating a healthy sustainable future for our children? When are we going to demand food that doesn’t kill us, education that educates instead of creating factory workers, restrictions to technologies that are rotting our brains and killing our creativity.
If parents can’t acknowledge that somethings wrong and continue to make excuses, then there is no hope. We cannot continue the denial with “yeah, but you turned out alright” because, no, no I didn’t turn out alright. I could have been much better and I’m going to make sure things are better for my son.