WHAT IS THE REAL JOB OF THE FAMILY?

FWR Asks: What is the real job of the family?

The obvious answer is - raising kids.

The Torrances are a typical new family. When the first baby arrives they fumble because they are trying to do the world’s most important job with little or no training. They have read some books and listened to their parent’s advice. Truth is that raising kids requires experience which they don’t have. They may be smart but will they be lucky?

Why are new parents not ready for the job? They need child care experience, but start with none. If they and their parents were really smart, they would have learned about raising kids from their own wider family.

Could it be that the first task of parents is shared training? This suggests that training becomes a big feature of family life. What is missing is actual experience. The new parents don’t have it, but their parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents do. These folks have learned the hard way. Hopefully they have learned from most of their mistakes. They have the experience new parents need.

The young folks can get involved in child care before they face it as parents. They can take up baby-sitting and leading games at home. Volunteering at community services such as day care centers and schools – are also good places to learn the real way.

What is the big idea here? It is that the teenage years is the time to get experience helping to raise kids. This is revolutionary because we have bought into the teen craze of learning about themselves by doing a lot of dumb things. Parents can change that with the right attitude towards child raising.

The Torrance family has more than its share of challenges - jobs, wide family fragmentation, “New Age” beliefs and behaviors, schools and other community professionals not oriented to family wellness. The Torrances are largely on their own with little time for new ideas.

It is time that the Torrance wider clan helps their new parents to get a new vision of family wellness by sharing child care experiences. There is a new resource. It is called The Family Wellness Rainbow. With this kind of overview, the Torrances can find time for the world’s most important job.

Please check out: www.familywellnesscybermall.org

FWR Says:  It is time the family makes childcare training a must for all