Parenting is a tough job. With so many competing forces fighting for our children’s attention and society telling us what successful kids should look like, it can be hard to stay focused on the things that truly matter.
In a culture that uses popularity, athleticism, talent, and straight A’s as benchmarks for success, it’s challenging to be the type of parent who champions instead for compassion, kindness, empathy, and inclusiveness.
But that’s exactly what mama Heather M. Jones is doing in her latest Facebook post, and it’s truly opening the eyes of parents everywhere. Read it in full below:
“Today I learned that I am raising the kind of kid who sees a waitress at a restaurant drop the stack of plates and cutlery she’s carrying, and leaps out of his seat to help her pick them up.
I don’t care that he gets good grades.
I don’t care whether or not he is popular.
I don’t care whether or not he is talented.
I don’t care if he is good at sports.
I don’t care if he keeps his room clean.
I don’t care how well he does on standardized testing.
I don’t care care if he stars in the school play, or scores the most goals, or places first in the competition.
None of these things matter much to me.
I care that he apologizes to the cat when he accidentally bumps into her.
I care that he takes his little brother to public washrooms.
