Why do some parents ignore their own children?
Or “specialize” in giving negative attention?
Aren’t those forms of child abuse?
And parental weakness and failure?
Here are three chunks of this morning’s trigger for those questions:
The father and mother never responded and were paying no particular attention. Their minimal communication with the children was geared toward efficiency and little more — curt and bored commands about eating functions.
[…]
Finally, she put down the paintbrush and walked up to the mother and said, “Lady, do not think they won’t remember this when they’re 17.”
[…]
What my heart wanted me to do was reach into the dad’s and mom’s chests and sear this thought in them with a branding iron: Parenting is more than putting food on the table and a roof over the head. Parenting is delighting. It is enjoying. It is reveling.
Please, parents.
Tune in!
Your ears.
Your hearts.