The little boy's father abhorred and ignored him.
His father died when he was just 11, and the child was overjoyed.
His mother never disciplined or socialized him. She gave him free
reign in the home. The boy's name? Adolf Hitler.
I'm Bill McCartney... It's 4TH and Goal!
There were other forces at work to produce the Hitler who'd eventually
rise to power through a web of lies, deceit, and lack of respect for human
life. But, as with all of us, his childhood probably played a large
role in his social development.
We, as parents, shape our children's lives. We have eighteen
short years, to mold this selfish individual into someone who is responsible,
patient, and loving. It requires that we give our children a strong social
heritage.
A strong social heritage accomplishes five objectives:
It instructs in appropriate treatment of others,
It teaches respect for all people,
It balances unconditional love for people, with conditional acceptance
of behaviors,
It enforces rules in the context of a loving relationship; and
It models clear and sensitive communication skills to our children.
Here's a game we can play to instill a social heritage in our children.
Get out some Legos and start to build a 'House of Respect'. When
someone shows respect for other family members, let that person add a block
to the house. When they're disrespectful, help them remove a block.
When the family has built its 'House of Respect', celebrate by going out
to dinner or rent a family movie together.
Another idea is to develop a chore chart and assign everyone a different
job, including Mom and Dad! That way we can model to our kids how
to carry out jobs that contribute to the home's maintenance and cleanliness.
These simple roles give us all a sense of ownership, and so, a sense of
responsibility.
These are easy ways we can start to give our children a strong social
heritage.
I'm Coach Bill McCartney.
Copyright (c) 2000 Promise Keepers.
4th and Goal - Coaching for Life's Tough Calls, with Bill McCartney,
is a radio ministry of Promise Keepers.
Heard on more than 470 outlets nationwide, 4th and Goal - Coaching for
Life's Tough Calls, with Bill McCartney, is a 3-minute daily radio commentary
providing men with a hope-filled approach to issues that men deal with
every day. The program addresses vital topics such as parenting, the fatherless,
teenage alienation, and marriage relationships, as well as reporting on
breaking news and research related to men's daily interests. 4th
and Goal transcripts are also available on the Internet.
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Copyright (c) 2000 Promise Keepers. Reprinted with permission.
"4th and Goal - Coaching for Life's Tough Calls," with Bill McCartney,
is a radio ministry of Promise Keepers.
Promise Keepers may withdraw or modify this grant of permission at any
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