Where have the parents gone?

For the love of children…

If you are a parent, perhaps you have experienced “paralysis of analysis.” You watch helplessly as your beloved child engages in behavior that compels you to respond, but you aren’t sure what to do. It might be your five year old who relentlessly bullies his little sister, engages in frequent temper tantrums, continues to wet his bed, or doesn’t sleep through the night. Of more concern, perhaps it is your 14 year old who is failing in school, lying, experimenting with drugs and/or sex, or even screaming obscenities at you.

When faced with these types of parenting crises, and not knowing what Dr. Phil or Dr. Lara would say, some parents become mentally frozen. They are trying to decipher too many conflicting directives from the “experts” and are abdicating their responsibility to make a decision. They have surrendered their intuitive knowledge of parenting to those they believe to be much wiser.

Where have all the parents gone? Many have gone to “experts” in the field of mental health who vary dramatically in terms of training, experience, and philosophy. And, sadly, too many of our struggling children are incorrectly diagnosed as being “mentally ill” and then powerful, and sometimes harmful, psychotropic drugs are prescribed. Parents should never take advice without first reflecting upon how it agrees or disagrees with their parenting instincts and their own standard of common sense. If parents are feeling internal disharmony because what is being recommended to them is not consistent with their parental inclinations, a second or third opinion might be warranted. Your child deserves not only a loving parent, but a self-believing one.