There is a report in the news of a teenager who is going deaf and blind and a host of other physical problems because of eating only junk food. The human body needs a host of nutrients that come from various foods. Junk food doesn’t meet those requirements.
Apparently, his parents tried to get him on a better diet regimen only to fall back into the junk food.
My question for this situation: Is this child independently wealthy outside of his parents room and board?
I was raised in the country in Kansas. We were in small farm communities where people worked for a living. None of us were raised with a silver spoon in our mouths. We always had food on the table and had a roof over our heads. I personally baled hay, unloaded derailed train cars, and worked as a janitor in a large commercial building. We didn’t have a lot of extras. And, living out in the country meant a trip to town was a big deal. We drove 10 miles to the nearest metropolis for movies, shopping, and restaurants. When we got to go to Burger King or Pizza Hut, it was a huge treat for us.
But for us, a daily trip to McDonald’s wouldn’t even be physically possible. For one thing, I wasn’t of driving age. My Dad worked in a town 10 miles away and most of the time, he wasn’t making another 20 mile jaunt after he got home. We went to church in town, so that was our main opportunity to go out to eat. But, for my parents, it meant being able to get a nice sit-down-meal. That means, no fast food. So even if we went to town, it wasn’t always junk food for our treat.
For people who had real parents, parents who weren’t just our friends, but parents who actually parented; they knew what was right for us and made us abide by their rules. We did chores like mowing the lawn, vacuuming the carpet, and cleaning up after whatever pets we had. We also had to keep our rooms neat and beds made. And if we didn’t abide by the rules, there were consequences. We didn’t get any of the treats, even though we rarely had dessert anyway. And for more egregious offenses like throwing a rock and breaking out the living room window, we got spanked. I know people these days frown on those things. But as I look back, I always knew there were consequences for our actions. When you don’t have parents who set rules and actually have rewards and punishments, then you never learn about those things.
Today, they have what are called "helicopter parents". These are parents that hover around their children at a safe distance, but let them make all their own decisions. They are only there for safety. There aren’t real rules. They do everything for them and answer to every beckoned call. I see parents on the phone in the freezer section at the grocery store arguing with a child about what brand they want them to get. I see kids throwing fits because they are not getting what they want. In my house, fits didn’t happen. We got what we got and were appreciative.
Well, not always appreciative. I had a real hate of broccoli when I was a kid. Actually, almost anything green food-wise wasn’t something I enjoyed. But we had rules. I had to clean my plate for every meal because we weren’t wealthy enough to let anything go to waste. And my parents knew what was good for me even if I didn’t agree. So I sat there as I saw kids in the yard playing football. Sometimes I was stubborn because I thought after a few hours, my Mom would say, "OK, you can go play now". She never did. I ended up eating cold, hours-old broccoli.
But now, as I look back, I really appreciate how I was raised. It made it easy for me when I went into the Army. In the Army, you can’t really be a vegetarian, or have gluten allergies, or peanut allergies, or any other food preference issues. They put food on your plate and you eat it. And because you were always starving, you ate everything. And you ate it really fast. You get handed C-rations for the field. Yes, you may trade with someone for something else, but mostly you ate what you got. And because of how I was raised, it was easy. And I ate tons of broccoli and green beans too. I grew to love those things. It reminded me of home.
In some ways, I wish we had mandatory military service for everyone. We’d be a much better country if we did. Then, as parents who went through that process and knew what was going to be expected of them, they would prepare their children for their service. They would have rules and ask everyone to be polite. In the military, yes sir and yes ma’am are commonplace. You learn chivalry there. You learn about honor and country. You wouldn’t have groups like Antifa or Skinheads or gangs. We would all be on the same playing field working for the same team.
Don’t feed your kids whatever they want. Instead, be a parent and give them what they need. Give them nutritious meals and don’t cave to their every desire. Its up to you to grow a child with good character, values, and beliefs. Don’t put perverted ideas in their minds just so they are genderless and seemingly accepting of anything. Be a parent! Teach them what is right and wrong. Don’t put crazy ideas in their minds and wonder later why they are so messed up. I mean, kids don’t even know which bathroom to go to anymore. They don’t even know how to dress. And they certainly don’t know how to eat. Its up to parents to do these things. And if you are going to be a parent, be a parent. An honorable man (or man-child) will accept their role as parent if they parent a child. Marry the girl. And raise kids right. Society falls apart when we no longer have family. Even homosexual relationships have a man-woman modeled partnership. There is always a man and woman no matter what. You need that for the development of a child. The number of single parent homes, especially in inner city and poor communities, is astounding. The number of young people who shack up and never get married is remarkable. Actually, its catastrophic! People don’t want to commit anymore. They always want an easy way out. And if you don’t get married, then bonds are easily dissolved. There is no more belief in a higher power that honors a relationship. It is a different feeling from when I was raised.
Kids should never end up deaf and blind because of poor parenting. Be a parent! If you make a child, be responsible to that beautiful creation. Both man and woman. It takes a man and woman to make a child. So own up to that.
Andy Yoga 