Parenting: The process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/parenting).
Parenting is likely the most challenging job that any of us will ever perform. No two parents perform job the same way, no two children are ever the same, and all that we can ever really do is give it our finest effort and hope for the best.
Some parents intuitively think that they know beyond a shadow of doubt what is best for their children. Without question, these tough and uncompromising parents are unwilling to adapt to each unique situation or adopt any alternative parenting approach. They are adept, however, at discipline, structure, and consistency. Their “might makes right” attitude permeates a familial context in which their voices reign supreme.
Believing there are ever elusive parenting best practices, another type of parent forms the backdrop of the multibillion-dollar industry that thrives on the innermost parental insecurities of today’s modern parent. They consume volumes of popular and scientific text designed to help them get all of the necessary ingredients blended into the right parenting concoction. From high end psychologically enhanced toys to subliminal Beethoven DVDs designed to teach their children to read before they can crawl; these parents spend all of their time, energy, and disposable income to significantly augment their inherent good intentions.
There are limitless combinations of parental adaptations.
Unfortunately one of these parental variations includes those with whom the greatest parenting effort was expended during the grunts and groans accompanying conception. To phrase it nicely, these are the non-parenting parents. They seem to not know or care what they are doing, and for them, parenting is an inconvenience. These are the kind of parents that prompt flu-like symptoms, repulsive as it is to watch their unkempt children in need of attention just beyond reach of their level of parental consciousness. They are easy to spot as their children can be heard a literal mile a way; screaming and kicking, whining and crying, and throwing tantrums at the slightest hint they may not actually get what they want.
Now, since you have waded through my overly complicated analysis thus far, as you begin to rub your eyes and yawn, I assure you that it was not my original intent to facilitate an intellectual treatise on the numerous manifestations of the paternal instinct.
So what was my intent? Stay tuned for my next blog as we find out together.
And, as a reward for staying with me thus far, I will elaborate on the subtle cleverness of the title “Immortal Yoda.” It’s quite simple really. In a metaphysical context, parents are assured of immortality as they live on through their children, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and so on. And Yoda is a metaphor representing the role of spiritual guide and sensei that parents take on with their children. Cool, huh?
In closing, I have a two-part question for you. Are you a parent and if so, what do you think is your most important contribution to the lives of your children?
