I  must have missed a really important parenting class. This class is one that I really would have liked to have taken.

This class would have taught me how to teach my children to think for themselves. I mean I want them to be obedient, but when one of their friends suggests something that they know is wrong, I want them to stand up and say “No.”

As of right now,  I am at a complete loss on how to teach them that peer pressure is not a reason for doing something. And, it’s not always their friends that try to talk them into something.  Often, it’s each other.

“Why of course Denver, it is a great idea to slide down the stairs on a box smacking right into the front door.” Spoken by a very wise Autumn.

“Well, the boys told me to climb out onto the roof to get the toys.” What in the world was Autumn thinking?

“But Mom, the pogo stick on the trampoline makes perfect sense. They both bounce.” Oh, the logic of Dylan.

Chandler, please stop jumping off of Mommy’s bed. “Denver showed me how, mommy,” the three-year-old replies.

These were all harmless incidents,  though they all have the potential to result in an ER visit.

How do I teach them to stand up for what is right?

To protect each other?

That doing the right thing, even when no one is looking, is always worth it?

I worry all the time that there is something I should be saying or doing that will instill this value in them, that I am not doing. These are not things you can just hope your kids will develop like a love of cake. What if I am totally missing the mark, and my children miss out completely?

I don’t think it’s safe to assume that if they see this quality in Eric or me it will be enough. Doing what’s right and standing up for yourself or others is always hard. The road less traveled is less traveled for a reason. And often, standing up for something means you end up standing alone.

This skill, this gift that I want them to have, requires a strong backbone and a firm foundation. But how do I make sure they get both?

The road of parenthood is fraught with never-ending questions. The only answer I know for sure is, it is always bad to slide down the stairs on a box.