Some kids turn out great. Some… well, eventually you hope they’ll catch up to their peer.

A couple weeks ago, we graduated a bar mitzvah kid who has done well; he’s a young 13, but his mind is bright and he’s been a careful study and grasped his lessons well. Yet there are others I’m far more concerned about.

A child is usually as his or her parents expect them to be. If they allow their children to drift into bad habits of prioritizing entertainment over education, rare is the child who will become a good student. If they allow their kids to do whatever their heart desires, rare is the child who will show respect for their elders and obey their authority figures.

The behavior of children reflects an aspect of a congregation to those who visit. If children are generally well-behaved, it is a blessing to the congregation. If they run wild, it creates a less favorable impression.

The trouble is that not all parents are uniform in their approach to parenting. Some are involved and caring and appropriately strict; others are self-involved and unconcerned and as stable as inflatable boats.

This is human nature, it’s true; never will there be any congregation for whom all kids and parents produce equally encouraging results with their children. But I do wish more parents would see the importance of bringing up their children well. Yes, it’s a tough job; but it’s actually part of our covenant with Adonai our God. Solid parenting ought to be taken more seriously.

Tags: children, inflatable boats, parenting