It's Time to Take Some Responsibility

*This is often a touchy and controversial subject on which there are many opinions that differ greatly. These are my thoughts:

I'm tired of people blaming the mainstream media for how the children of today act. It seems like parents will do anything to not take responsibility for the actions that they take that affect the lives of their children.

The reason why children curse is because they hear their parents curse, not because they hear a word once in a song on the radio. This is something that I personally need to work on. One of my worst fears is my son going to school and cursing when he drops something on the ground.

The reason why children say racist or cruel things is because their parents say racist or cruel, not because a character in a show on the television says racist or cruel things. This one is a tricky one. No one is perfect, but we can certainly take note of the comments that we make about other people and other cultures in our daily lives, and perhaps realise how cruel we really are.

The reason why children dress provocatively is because their parents dress provocatively, not because they saw a woman in a music video in a low-cut top and hot pants. Who do you think is buying the clothes for these children anyway? It's certainly not mainstream media.

I've said this before, and I'll say it again: you are the example for your children. If you don't want them to curse, say racist or cruel things, or dress provocatively then don't do them yourself. All children want to be is a little version of their parents; they look up to us more than we ever think that they would.

When will we stop trying to find a scapegoat to blame for why our children are the way they are, and finally take responsibility for what we have taught them.