In ‘The Celebration‘ by Wanda Brunstetter, Velma is an interesting character. She’s a little bit different with a harder edge around her. With 4 children, two whom have left home and a truck driver husband whose crusty edge is even harder she brings an interesting perspective to the story. Velma believes that it’s best to let our children learn life’s lessons from their own mistakes. Do you agree with this philosophy? Why or why not?
I think I do agree with this—within reason. I’m not going to let my little one stand on the refrigerator and jump off of it. I won’t stand by and watch my child bully another child. But, within reason, I let them make their own mistakes. There are lines that I have and that I will draw because my children love to push boundaries. Arie—with all of her medical conditions—would attempt to jump off the house if I let her. I observed her pushing a chair up on the table once. I asked her why she was trying to get the chair on the table and she informed me that she wanted to stand on it…
I think a good dose of common sense goes a long way. If you see your child bullying another child, do something. While others may argue that the child will learn with other children refuse to play with them—I have to disagree. It doesn’t always work that way. Bullying is something I will not tolerate in any shape or form. I was bullied as a child and I can tell you that I never stood up to those bullies. There are things that I’m self-conscious about to this day because of them.
Trust yourself. If you feel the need to step in then step in. When the need for guidance arises, don’t feel bad about it.
We love hearing from you! Share your comments below