What kids really want….from Australian dads.
The following ten points were gathered from kids in Juvenile Detention who were asked to draw up a code for parents that zeroed in on specific areas where their own parents had failed:
Keep cool – Don’t fly off the handle. Keep the lid on when things are going wrong. Kids need to see how much better things turn out when people keep their tempers under control.
Don’t get strung out on booze and drugs – When we see our parents reaching for these crutches, we get the idea that it is perfectly okay to reach for a bottle or a capsule when things get heavy. Children are great imitators
Bug us a little – Be strict. Show us who is boss. We need to know that we have some strong support under us. When you cave in we get scared.
Don’t blow your class – Stay on that pedestal. Don’t try to dress, dance, or talk like your kids. You embarrass us and you look ridiculous.
Light a Candle – Show us the way. God is not dead or sleeping or on vacation. We need to believe in something bigger and stronger than ourselves.
Scare us – If you catch us lying, stealing, or being cruel, get tough. Let us know why what we did was wrong. Impress on us the importance of not repeating such behaviour.
When we need punishment, dish it out – But let us know you still love us even though we have let you down. It will make us think twice before we do that again.
Call our bluff – Make it clear you mean what you say. Don’t compromise. Don’t be intimidated by our threats to drop out of school or to run away from home. Stand up to us and we will respect you. Kids don’t want everything they ask for.
Be honest – Tell us the truth no matter what. Be straight- arrow about everything. We can take it. Lukewarm answers make us uneasy. We can smell uncertainty a mile away.
Praise us when we deserve it – Give us a few compliments once in a while and we will be able to accept criticism a whole lot easier.
Pray you can join us this Father’s Day as we celebrate the most important role of being a father in a world where this very position is under attack and considered not important. Australia as a nation is desperately in need of Fathers, Dads who will fill this blessed role in seeing their families have a living and vital relationship with their Creator and God – the Lord Jesus Christ.