A core law of life is: The harder you work at anything, the less company you have. In other words, you move farther away from the average. The more important parenting is to you, and the more you work at it, the less you will be like other parents.
Your standards are high. You don't talk a good game, or stand by and hope it happens. You actively pursue good parenthood. Your kids have to be mannerly and courteous, or else they don't get the benefits they want. They do help more around the house than ninety nine percent of kids their age. It's your way of teaching appreciation and a solid work ethic. You are the only family in his class who has a nightly reading hour. And yes, you refuse to purchase all the latest gimmicks, fads, trends, and labels.
Because you are different, your children will be different. Being different is not bad. Unfortunately, nowadays, it's often a better way to be. In the short run, your kids may experience some extra bumps growing up, even some temporary isolation from the flock. In the long run, they will emerge much sturdier than those who need group approval to feel value. Not only are you giving your children independence and resistance to narrow minded and immature opinions of others. You are giving them extraordinary values that will carry them through the rest of their lives.
To walk apart from the parenting crowd takes enormous courage and stamina. Having high expectations for children has become somewhat out-of-fashion. There's a mindset today that says parents don't have the right to ask children to live up to their potential for fear of not allowing them to be kids, or "over-stressing" them, or asking too much of them. My experience is that, in general, our children are capable of much more in the way of cooperation, self restraint, respect, academics than we ask of them. Humans become strong by striving and reaching for their best. When those humans are children, parents must set the conditions for healthy striving. You say you feel like you're swimming upstream. You most likely are swimming upstream. God bless you for it. You will be rewarded many times over. So will your kids, even more so.
For more advice from Dr. Ray visit his website at drray.com
A Good Difference