Sometimes your parents have to become your kids parents.
Many of Today’s Parents are AWOL! Some by circumstance, but others by choice. The Financial Dynamics behind many households today are due to “I Need” Economics (as in I need to own this house, I need to drive this car, I need to have this furniture, etc.) and not in the Bare Necessities. Remember Baloo the Bear in the Jungle Book? That’s what we need more of today. My wife and I purposed when she got pregnant, that she would stay home and help raise our family. After 43 years of Marriage, I’m happy to say that we’ve accomplished that goal. That doesn’t mean that she hasn’t worked. She has! Probably more than most. She has had a Part Time job, at Home, for 22 years with Our Daily Bread. But for the most part, the job has never interfered with the raising of our children.
But for the majority of families, both Mom and Dad have been spending most of the week Working. Many today have reached out to their Folks for help. They’ve either dropped the kids off at their home on their way to work, or Grandma and/or Grandpa drive over to the house and stay until the folks get home. Now this is not a Bad Situation, especially if they did a good job raising their kids. But it’s not they way it should be. God gave those Precious Children to a set of parents whose main job is to “raise them in the training and nurture of the Lord”. They have been commissioned to be their Mentors, Teachers, and Guides in this life. Not their Grand Parents.
And rather than Say No, which is so hard to do, they don’t exercise the Tough Love that they had when they raised their own. I know it seems heartless and cruel, but this is where we need to go. Their only recourse is Day Care, which when you consider the cost for it, the New Wardrobe, the 2nd vehicle’s gas, insurance, wear and tear, there just isn’t much left over. Hopefully, this will help our children count the cost, and make a better choice!