It's part of the job

So there is a situation of sorts going on here in our town that has made my insides churn and literally made me sick. It has brought so much emotion forth in me and made me want to put my tikes in bubbles and never let them see the light of day so they will never be hurt. I realize that this solution is not realistic nor is it what I really want. I want them to grow up free of dangers, illnesses, predators and anything scary. That is also not realistic, so I am going to just do the best job I can and pray for the best outcome.

I think my number one job as a parent is to love my children, to be there for them, to be honest with them and to keep an open line of communication at all times. No matter what choices they make or the roads they take, I will always love them and be there for them, that is my number one responsiblity. I also have to instill moral values in them, good values, values I was taught and raised with. I need to teach them to value life, all life. Their own, their neighbors, their families. I want to teach them right and wrong. That sometimes doing the right thing is the hard thing and the wrong thing is much easier, but that the right thing is the one that counts and they will be rewarded for one day. I want to teach them to dream, but at some point you have to start trying to achieve those dreams. Dreams are great, but they wont' pay the bills or buy you a new car. A person who only dreams and never goes after it, is just as bad as someone who settles and never dreams.

I want to teach them that every action has a consequence or a reaction. That these consequences and reactions are not always good, but necessary. I want to teach them that they will not always make the good choice or decision, but the most important thing is to learn from this bad choice and move forward with a lesson learned. I want them to know the world is a dangerous place, full of dangerous people. That the dangerous people don't always seem dangerous. I want them to listen to that little voice in their head, it is often correct.

I want to teach them to respect themselves first and foremost because if they don't do that, no one else will respect them either. I want them to respect their elders and their peers, even when they may not deserve their respect. I want them to be happy, to smile, to enjoy the little things in life. I want them to live life to the fullest and not waste one minute of this precious time here.

I want to cuddle them and protect them, but since one day they will be on their own and independent I want to give them the tools and knowledge to protect themselves. Even at the tender ages of 1 and 2, I'm going to start doing that. It is never to early to do that and you should to.