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{"id":7784,"date":"2012-11-05T22:35:23","date_gmt":"2012-11-06T03:35:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/thecrescat\/?p=7784"},"modified":"2017-01-26T22:12:40","modified_gmt":"2017-01-27T03:12:40","slug":"brainwashing-your-children-is-your-parental-duty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/thecrescat\/2012\/11\/brainwashing-your-children-is-your-parental-duty.html","title":{"rendered":"Brainwashing your children is your parental duty…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Speaking of stupidity and politics; have you ever discussed with other parents how they were handling the elections with their children? It\u2019s the perfect teaching opportunity; you know, government, the electoral process, democracy, moral obligations and responsibilities. What better time in a child\u2019s young life to install your political ideologies and indoctrinate them to your way of thinking than during a presidential election. Can you believe some parent\u2019s are actually passing up the chance to politically influence their own children?! I know! <\/p>\n

I guess they don\u2019t know if they don\u2019t do it someone else will gladly step right in. Someone else being teachers, Nickelodeon, and that commie Big Bird. <\/p>\n

So there I was having a conversation with a friend about Michelle Obama coming to a local elementary school \u2013 told ya! \u2013 and this father was telling me how disheartened he was that both his kids thought B.O. was \u201cso cool\u201d. I asked what he was doing to remedy that post haste. Incredulously, he said nothing. He didn\u2019t want to influence his own children in matters of politics. He felt the best thing to do was let them decide for themselves who to support and be a good dad by standing behind their decision. Really!? Truly?! <\/p>\n

$\"\"$ <\/a><\/p>\n

His kids like Obama because they think he\u2019s cool. That\u2019s it. No other reason. They fell for an empty facade of coolness that\u2019s been careful constructed by endless appearances on late night TV and a kid\u2019s television network. That is what happens when you let young children make unguided decisions. They will always choose candy for dinner. <\/p>\n

You don\u2019t let children decide for themselves whether drugs are cool or not. Little Johnny doesn\u2019t like homework so he\u2019s decided he won\u2019t do it anymore and we stand behind his decision. Um, no. Unwavering support for whatever our kids do or decide is not the same thing as teaching them independent thought. If you want to help children learn to think for themselves you have to first teach them how to think<\/em>. Show them how to gather information and critically weigh that information in order to make informed<\/em> decisions. Liking someone because they are cool is wrong wrong wrong and it\u2019s utterly inexcusable for a parent not to help a child see that. Parents should support informed decisions, not the mindless ones. <\/p>\n

I will never understand why some parents will be involved in their kid\u2019s decision making process but then behave as if religion and politics are off limits. My mom did that, you know. Didn\u2019t want to influence me in regards to religion so I was a big Godless heathen most of my life. She went through the effort of raising me and suddenly stopped at religion. Weird, I know. <\/p>\n

I honestly never thought I would ever have to actually type this, but parents, it is OK to influence your children in all matters. Remember, if you aren\u2019t going to do it someone else will<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"