Parenting involves a certain degree of becoming someone you don’t like in order to mold a child into someone you can like.

      Parenting is without a doubt my toughest role. A child’s future is on the line, I feel so inadequate to the challenge, and all my sage advice is oft described as “There goes Dad running his mouth, again.”
      Admittedly, I’m prone to be too lenient, too easily talked into something, and too willing to trust that one of my kids will do as they say. Ronald Reagan’s “trust, but verify,” statement is one I’ve learned to appreciate the hard way. On the other hand, Judith and I must be doing something right. About a month ago our children offered the following litany regarding their parents: “mean, Nazis, stupid rules, irrelevant, out of touch with reality, and unreasonable.” And as you can presume the list goes on from our teenaged son and daughter, ages 15 and 13, respectively.
      Can you imagine that I actually made a stupid rule like this: “Every time I pull away from the house and you have to be reminded to use your seatbelt delays by a day your ability to get your learner’s permit”? Charles’ birthday was February 21 and as of this writing, there’s no learner’s permit.
      You’ve seen the bumper sticker that reads: “I should have had grandchildren first.” I imagine most kids would like a bumper sticker that reads, “I should have been a grandchild first.”
      There’s one good reason for parental “meanness” – it’s love. Ultimately, if I’m coming from love, I can live with myself being cast in the villainous role of: The Parent. After all, it is for the sake of my children’s character development. It is what they need to be on-purpose. And by the way, I fail at parenting all the time, but I’m failing forward and learning all the way along. I guess that means someday I, too, will become a terrific grandparent. My prayers are with all parents!
      Kevin McCarthy is the CEO of On-Purpose Partners and author of the books, The On-Purpose Person and The On-Purpose Business. His one-hour radio program is heard every Thursday at 5pm on AM 950 WTLN. Visit us at www.on-purpose.com.