LOVE AS FAMILY GLUE

I see love as the glue holding together families—including loosely defined ones and those not linked by genes or legal ties. And I associate families with life’s great joys. Inside the family home, unconditional love can provide unmatched comfort / security feelings. Meeting what some may call family obligations—like spending quality time together, parents nurturing /sacrificing for growing children, children respecting (even honoring) parents / grandparents despite their faults and helping comfort / care for them as they age, etc. —should flow naturally out of this love.

TOUGH LOVE

I think tight knit monogamous families are where children acquire high moral standards and discipline through continual reinforcement and parental modeling. In parenting—and teaching children to accept responsibility— I believe kindness can do more harm than good. We shouldn’t pamper, spoil, or indulge. We should allow for some independent discovery— even if that means children learning from mistakes. When my child's or spouse's behavior falls short, rather than accept excuses, he /she should be confronted with my expectations as to their rectifying it!