Are You a Lazy Parent?
Many parents today think that if they keep a clean house, bring home a good income and keep their children clean and clothed they are doing a good job. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Lots of parents come home from work stressed and exhausted with no time or energy to spend with their children. These aren’t lazy people. They work hard to keep their jobs, progress their careers and earn a good income. But they have no time to spend doing the most important thing in their lives which is nurturing their offspring.
Early years education in the home is increasingly recognised as a crucial aspect of child development. Most importantly - reading. Reading to young children every day is enormously beneficial to the child and to the parent-child relationship. Not doing so is just plain lazy.
Many hard-working, busy parents are of the opinion that skills like reading and writing are best taught in schools by teachers. They fail to recognise the powerful influence that their example sets for their children. They think that they have fulfilled their parental duty by spending wads of cash on up to date computer games or buying an expensive garden playset. The truth is that no amount of money can ever compensate for neglecting parental responsibilities.
Reading to your children every day is such a simple yet incredibly effective way to educate them. A lot of busy parents will be saying ‘I don’t have the time.’ Well you need to find it. When you are a parent you have no choice. Your child’s development, education and well being should be your top priorities.
Lazy parenting has become the norm in our busy, achievement-driven society. I don’t doubt that many parents will disagree but they need to take a good hard look at exactly what they do every day to interact with the most important people in their lives, their children.
So when was the last time you read a story with your little ones?
Dining Room Tables wrote,
Thankfully i can honestly answer that question. I told him a bed time story last night.
Great post.
Link | March 15th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
amy from Tattoo Websites wrote,
Hi There, this is so true!. My husband works a regular 8 hrs a day office day and I usually a stay in mother. But when I got a job about 2 months ago I noticed that my kids are acting up strangely(almost shouting, lost of appetite etc..). Me and my husband had a talk because we felt that having a nanny to look for our children when we are away is not a good idea because we are felt that we created a distance with our children. So I decided to quit my job and stay focus on them like reading them books before going to bed(which I do before I got work. But when I got a job and go home I was always tired and wanted to sleep so I dont have time for my children).
Perhaps if others can read your article I’m pretty sure they will appreciate it very much..
-Amy
Link | April 30th, 2009 at 7:57 am
Dining Tables wrote,
Long working hours can have quite a negative effect on family life. There are a few things i do with my kids. For one being a dining table enthusiast I make sure that we all have dinner around the dining table and not a tv dinner. This helps a lot to as you end up being able to spend more thime with the family.
Link | May 31st, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Chris Lee wrote,
Great review, I have two of my own; one 9yrs and another in his “terible 2′s”
Chris
Va Beach
Link | June 17th, 2009 at 6:26 am
child custody attorney in LA wrote,
reading to your children is a fantastic way to bond with your child and help educate them. Why would a parent not want to. Thank you for the post.
Link | June 17th, 2009 at 6:17 pm
barbie from Melissa and Doug wrote,
kick in the butt!
that is what I feel…
I love spending time with my baby, but I know I can still give more and she very much deserve it.
thanks for kicking my butt!
Link | September 5th, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Liza Brown (career advice expert) from job search wrote,
I remember my mother reading every day to me. And when I were ill, even several times a day. Thank to this I’ve grown up loving and enjoying reading, too. I’m sure that even if you have a job, you still should find at least 20 minutes to read something on a daily basis, so to speak.
Link | September 21st, 2009 at 10:57 am
Ahbee from Khmer wrote,
Hey nice post, reading to my child is something I’m looking forward too when I’ll become a father. And hopefully that won’t be too long from now, but I must say it’s one of the most beautiful thing you can do with your kids.
Link | September 27th, 2009 at 7:05 am
smith from Prams Pushchairs wrote,
Every parent think to provide best to their children. To fulfill that they work harder and harder to earn more so that they can provide every possible thing to their children. But, in spite of their busy schedule, they must read their child everyday to become more and more familiar about their habits.
Link | November 11th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
Nancy from Toddler Slide wrote,
I enjoyed reading the article on reading to your children everyday. Reading to or with your child creates a special time each day to connect with them. It can open up an opportunity to discuss important issues that may have come up that day or just explore their feelings and thoughts. Keep on reading!
Link | November 26th, 2009 at 6:25 am
Dan from Contemporary Dining Table wrote,
I almost jumped a mile when I say the title of this blog!
Anyway, back on topic. I don’t think any parents are lazy as such, as bringing up children requires a lot of hard work, but I do think they need to prioritize certain activities such as reading and writing and not be content to play ball with them in the garden. It may seem like fun now but may not benefit your child that much in the long run.
Link | February 23rd, 2010 at 10:21 am
Vik from MSPB Attorney wrote,
Sad but true. Most parents are stressed out to even communicate with their children. There must be a program for this or any awareness. Poor children, all they wanted was a little attention from their parents.
Link | March 25th, 2010 at 6:06 pm