“Parents often talk about the younger generation as if they didn’t have anything to do with it.” -Haim Ginott
Haim Ginott began his career as a school teacher in Israel, receiving his Ph.D. in psychology from Columbia University in 1952. His book Between Parent and Child may be one of the best parenting books every written. Since it was published in 1965, it has sold millions of copies. It is now in a new edition with the subtitle “the bestselling classic that revolutionized parent-child communication”. Ginott was ahead of his time in realizing that effective parents needed to find the balance between firmness and structure along with empathy and compassion. If we want to raise children to be both successful and kind, it is important to look at how well we are balancing firmness and structure in our parenting.
If you want a good laugh and a reminder that the last generation struggled with this same issue, check out the song “What’s the Matter with Kids Today?” from Bye Bye Birdie:
Kids! You can talk and talk till your face is blue!
Kids! But they still just do what they want to do!
Why can’t they be like we were,
Perfect in every way?
What’s the matter with kids today?
“The best proof of love is trust.” ~ Joyce Brothers