Time in a bottle.

I was reading an entry the other day. It was from a teacher complaining about how teen pregnancy and hard drug use was on the rise. She went on to quote another writer to show how liberals are more compassionate and caring then are their conservative counter-parts.

What I found most intriguing about this was the complete lack of cause and effect correlation between the issues she was so distressed by and the liberal influence on those issues. There was an acceptance that our society is in crisis, but no thought the causes could be found in the liberal approach that encourages the entertainment industry to show dysfunctional family relationships, wanton violence, and anti-social behavior as an approved model for our youth.

As long as the entertainment industry can make a buck selling us products that push the limit of good taste we will continually be pushing the boundary on what is good taste. Unfortunately it isn't the media's fault. We buy into this and spend our $ on it. We each bear a part of the total responsibility. Each time a parent allows their kids into the violence, or spends their dollars on rentals, tickets or buying these movies we encourage another movie that goes just one step farther.

As a parent I approached my job with this simple understanding of my role and my child's role. It was my job to set boundaries that kept my kids safe. I had to allow them room to grow but keep them from growing too fast or taking too many risks. My son and daughter's job was to grow into a responsible adult. They could only do this if they continuously pushed against my boundaries and exerted their individuality as they fit within the societies expectations. My challenge was to know when the boundaries could or should be expanded, and to know when their challenge to my boundaries exceeded what society would accept and therefore should result in discipline. I am always amazed by parents who never grasp this dynamic.