it has long been unfashionable to say so out loud in our society, but the truth is that having and raising children is the first duty of parents. period.
although peers, schools and employees may assume some of these responsibilities after the child is old enough to leave the house, it is Mommy and Daddy who are supposed to start the ball rolling. Some courts even hold parents legally responsible for their offspring, such as enterprising judges who haul parents into court when their kids are truant. In one case the parents of a teenager living at home were successfully sued for damages when their son had a car accident.
why are we suddenly punishing the lax parent instead of the incorrigible child? Part of it may be modern society's mania for placing the blame on somebody, anybody. But at heart, it's also the belief that mommies and daddies ought to teach the progeny to be decent, functioning, respected members of society.
That responsibility cuts across social lines. Certainly the demoralizing effects of welfare, gangs and commercialism make the task tougher for say single, inner city parents. But wealth and priveledge do not automatically confer parenting skills.
The fact remains that if a child does not learn the accepted way of getting what he wants by the time he becomes an adult, he will likely become a burden, not only to himself but ultimately to us all. Children must be taught how to survive in mainstream society, for it is there that they will spend the rest of their lives.
It starts at birth. Kids are not just miniature adults but separate entities that demand special attention-even before they are born. Accordingly, the rituals surrounding the birth of a baby are among the most enduring areas of etiquette.
