It’s over done...right? It’s obvious...right? It’s no news to you...right?

Ya ya ya....we know.....we know.........parenting is important!


I often wonder if the essence of common sense….is in fact……the most rare of humanistic qualities. I was once told, “The most important thing that you will do in your life….is raise good kids”. Well duh….that isn’t rocket science by any stretch of the imagination; so why then… (if we all know that we are endowed with this monumentally important task)...is it so hard to be optimistic about our youth?

The answer is…….it’s not hard to be optimistic. However; it is hard to find good examples of model youth in our everyday life. The examples that we all see at the local mall, the local grocery store, and in the media are not the youth that will lead us into the next phase of modern civilization. The fact is….that the good kids blend in to the background of society.

The youngest of children…that are well behaved and thoughtful….tend to be quiet, and go unseen to most of us. Kids that are a little older…..tend to be really busy, i.e. school work, sports, and extracurricular activities. Those kids aren’t around for most of us to see in our daily lives. Unfortunately; the kids we see are without much guidance, and/or purpose to occupy their time…….and unfortunately end up entertaining themselves in a public place.

I have only recently become a parent myself, but I have always been fascinated with the sociological interactions of people, and the concept of personally accountability. Personal accountability is the foundation of the conservative movement, and the pillar to which truly excellent parents must lean on. The fact is…. (at times)…adults are desensitized by life…...we stop being personally affected by our surroundings. Children……tragically…..aren’t able to turn their internal-garbage filter on and off at will. I know that you will agree…..our children are watching….and they are absorbing everything! Let me translate….TV, Magazines, and (the ultimate weapon against traditional values) …..the Internet have taken the place of the neighborhood bad boy and/or drug dealer. Listen up parents! These silent assassins of character are your new adversary in the morality war.

Please……remember!

Our children need more than attention……they need more than discipline, and yes…….they need a lot more than love.

They need REAL accountability……

My Simple Definition:

A daily explanation of life’s choices; coupled with clear pros and cons of their potential actions.

Taking away a child’s decision making skills, and/or taking choices away from children isn’t the way to create leaders and/or model citizens. In fact; that’s the path towards crushing their self-esteem and/or their creative thinking skills.

Only through allowing children to make well-informed decisions on their own (within reason), and then allowing them to reap what they sow…..will we cultivate our future saviors, and help them learn to think. Ultimately; our greatest assets need to stumble once in a while, but most of all…..they need to legitimately ponder choices (with us there to play devils advocate)! Problem solving skills in our greatest leaders weren’t just magically developed….it was through massive amounts trial and error…..victory and defeat.

So again, I pose a very simple question, “If we know that parenting is the answer to the worlds challenges….why don’t we do better?” Only you can answer that for yourself, but in my estimation…….it’s mostly because the vast majority of parents are gladly willing to give love, they are enthusiastically willing to give support, and they fall all over themselves to volunteer a shoulder to cry on…..but sadly; most parents have become incapable over the years of giving children the most powerful asset that they could ever receive…….

Personal Accountability!

For those of you that read this Blog today because I insinuated that love wasn’t the answer or wasn’t important…..I leave you with this thought. Giving your children personal accountability is the most profound example of love that I can think of...not only for your children, and not only for your children’s’ children…..but for all of humanity.

The love of a parent for a child.....is the answer!


Please see my newly added link to “Parent TV”….it’s a fantastic site for caring parents.

Thanks again for reading,

Jake