Tuesday, March 11, 2008

I'm in a snotty mood and Liz Dietrich is not right

I won't go so far as to say Liz Dietrich is wrong. She asserts in an interview in the Daily Slightem that there is a myth about bad parents. She says --
Liz Dietrich, clinical supervisor, said the agency wants to dispel the “myth of the bad parent.”

“Parents think, ‘My kid is acting this way because of something I did,’ ” she said. “We want to show them it’s not their fault. Some kids have these issues because of a chemical imbalance. You could be the best parent in the world; kids are still going to make mistakes.” (from the Daily Slightem)

Sure, there are families out there who have done everything "right". The parents were good parents. Something is just wrong with the child's wiring. And yes, Concern does a great job with these families (especially with clients who fall into the category of autism spectrum disorders).

However, it is naive to think that all parents are good parents. Sometimes the parents are the fault. Dad is a heroin addict and mom is a welfare leech trading her food stamps for smokes while the kids are running the streets. The kid steals. Why can't we blame the parent?

I think parents should be asking themselves if their child's behavior is a reflection of their parenting. In cases other than those with a true biological abnormality which effects behavior (autism, schizophrenia, bi-polar disorders, etc.), the cause must be partly a reflection of parenting.

Where do we learn how to behave, what is acceptable, our moral character? If your children are 'acting out', maybe it is your fault.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

HELLS YES! i thought this too when i read it.