What cannot be talked about cannot be put to rest. And if it is not, the wounds will fester from generation to generation.
Bruno BettelheimRead
The fear of failure is so great, it is no wonder that the desire to do right by one's children has led to a whole library of books offering advice on how to raise them
Interpretation
Parents often worry about failing in raising their children, which has resulted in a multitude of resources dedicated to parenting advice.
Bruno Bettelheim highlights the immense pressure that parents feel regarding the upbringing of their children. This fear of failing to provide the best possible guidance leads to an overwhelming amount of literature and resources aimed at helping parents navigate the complexities of child-rearing.
In practice
Sharing this quote during a parenting seminar to illustrate the pressures parents face.
What cannot be talked about cannot be put to rest. And if it is not, the wounds will fester from generation to generation.
Raising children is a creative endeavor, an art rather than a science.
The delight we experience when we allow ourselves to respond to a fairy tale, the enchantment we feel, comes not from the psychological meaning of the tale (although this contributes to it) but from its literary qualities-the tale itself as a work of art.
Punishment may make us obey the orders we are given, but at best it will only teach an obedience to authority, not a self-control which enhances our self-respect.
Not only is our love for our children sometimes tinged with annoyance, discouragement, and disappointment, the same is true for the love our children feel for us.
The ability to read becomes devalued when what one has learned to read adds nothing of importance to one's life.
The most rewarding aspect of parenting is seeing my children be authentic. The most rewarding thing for me is to see them do anything that they're proud of.
Ironically, parenting is a shame and judgment minefield precisely because most of us are wading through uncertainty and self-doubt when it comes to raising our children.
If you are a single parent, make friends with others in similar situations and develop friendships with married couples. Counsel with your priesthood leaders. Let them know of your needs and wants. Single parenthood is understood by the Lord.
My father had many, many veterans over to the house, and the older I got the more I appreciated their sacrifice.
As for the bracelet Mom wore to the funeral, what I did was I converted Dad’s last voice message into Morse code, and I used sky-blue beads for silence, maroon beads for breaks between letters, violet beads for breaks between words, and long and short pieces of string between the beads for long and short beeps, which are actually called blips, I think, or something. Dad would have known.
In my family, in the days prior to television, we liked to while away the evenings by making ourselves miserable, solely based on our ability to speak the language viciously.
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