Just as we need to know when to take action, we need to know when not to intervene
Once, on a transatlantic flight, I had the good fortune to sit in front of the most apathetic parents I’ve ever seen. Their five-year-old daughter terrorized the whole plane. She flung food and toys in all directions, screamed at record decibel levels, and pounded my seat like a champion kickboxer.
Only when the flight attendants’ warnings grew serious did the parents bother to quietly tell their daughter, “Please stop that, sweetie.”
How can parents be so irresponsible? Don’t just sit there — do something!
A responsible parent can’t be lazy or complacent. But there are also times when a truly responsible parent must not act. I know parents who spring into action every time their child says or does anything objectionable. They think they’re the most responsible parents in the world, but the opposite is true. If we want to be responsible, just as we need to know when to take action, we need to know when not to intervene.
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