We can’t blame a child’s mental health solely on his parents
Parents raise children; they don’t make them. Parenting is an important job and, like any job, should be performed as well as possible. Acquiring parenting skills helps make a parent more effective in every way. A good set of parenting skills helps prevent all sorts of harm. But parenting, good or bad, is only part of the developmental picture.
It would be great if we could take credit for raising a successful, emotionally solid, all-around wonderful human being. What an accomplishment! Our hard work paid off. We reaped what we sowed.
Alas, it isn’t that simple — as any parent of a large family knows.
Our “difficult” child, or our sensitive one, or our neighbor’s completely dysfunctional son or interesting daughter, isn’t necessarily the product of parenting gone wrong. This is very important for all of us to remember, both for our own sakes and for the sake of our humility and compassion for others.
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