The Work at Home Millionaire Journey

I struggle somedays with what I know is right for my children and what they want to do.  And I wonder why those two things aren’t congruent more often.  Why can’t an oreo cookie be good for you and green beans be full of artificial ingredients and flavors?

I raise my children differently than what I see happening in the world around me.  I feel confident about my parenting decisions.  When I’m tempted to give in to something I know I shouldn’t compromise on, I often think about a story I heard from Dr. Ben Carson.  Dr. Carson is a famous surgeon and all- around good guy.  He remembers his mom making him read books and write book reports while the other kids were outside playing.  She wanted to make sure he had a better life than she had.

Of course Dr. Carson now sees a value in what his mom did that was impossible to realize as a child.  I hope for the same results with my kids.

A part of trying to do right by our children is teaching them the value of personal growth.  But when do you start and what do you teach?

The answer is that it’s never too early to start.  We teach our toddlers to share, not bite, not hit, to be kind to their fellow toddlers.  And instead of worrying about whether Johnny can read and write in Kindergarden, we should be worrying about whether we’ve instilled in him a respect for the environment, his peers, and his elders.

What we need to concentrate on is whether Johnny is becoming a nice kid.  Jim Rohn says we should work harder on ourselves than on our jobs.  This applies to our children too.  They should be working harder on themselves than on their calculus.

I don’t see our kids working at all on themselves.  Where I live, it’s all about schools maintaining accreditation and teaching kids how to take standardized tests.  Most parents are too busy working and trying to get by to really make a difference.

Something needs to change.  As a society, we need to take more responsibility for our children and their future.

My 4-year-old wanted to go to the mall on Saturday night.  We have a “kid friendly” mall and she likes to do rides and play in the toy store.

There was a big sign at the mall entrance announcing the parental escort policy, which requires children 16 and under to be accompanied by an adult.  Apparently we aren’t even teaching our kids how to act in public.

The behavior of the teenage crowd indicated that the policy was necessary and perhaps didn’t go far enough.  One young man ran straight into my stroller due to his inattention.  Instead of apologizing, he turned the other direction and continued his conversation with his friends without ever looking at us.

My mall experience confirmed a sad truth I’ve known for quite some time.  Our children aren’t failing personal growth.  Because no one’s teaching it.  If they had to take a test on it, they would surely fail.  Which is our fault, and which needs to change.

JENNIFER HERNDON works at home with her kids.  She has been enjoying the time freedom and financial benefits of working from home for over 11 years.  Jennifer’s passion is empowering you to success through a positive mental attitude and consistent action.  Discover the Seven Simple Success Steps for free in Jennifer’s new mini-course.

Filed under: personal development, personal growth on June 8th, 2009