There is a phenomenom that I have observed amongst some of the younger women that I know... it goes against what my Mama taught me when my children were young......and I listened to her and applied it to my life..and GUESS WHAT??!!! my life was hugely benefited from her wise counsel.....
Here is what she told me......if you want to know how to raise your children, find somebody that HAS ALREADY DONE IT!!!!!!!!! and somebody that was successful at doing it.....(look at their grown children too) and talk to them...find out what they did and how they did it.......
We are in a society now that doesn't believe that. I am in a university town and it is filled with young people...and most of them think they are way smarter than the older people....the dynamics of living here can be challenging....
Professors teach from behind their desk about how to run a company without ever having done it themselves......
One of the most popular things is blogging about motherhood...that is wonderful and I am sure keeps a lot of girls sane and feeling like they are not alone...BUT......and a great big but......where are the experienced mamas?? The ones that have done this job of mothering and been successful at it? I believe there is most definitely a disconnect here between the generations...I don't know how it happened..that is not my worry...My thoughts are about how do we remedy this?
I have observed young mamas that have very little experience trying to guide other young mamas with less experience and they both really NEED some counsel from a much more experienced mama...because from this mamas perspective, neither one of them are giving very good counsel to the other..they are just bouncing back and forth what they have come up with on their own....
Why are the younger women having to do this on their own? are we as older women not available? or are they just not willing to listen to older and wiser counsel because it is not what they want to hear? do they really want to raise successful adults or not? I have younger and older readers and would love to hear some feedback on this one....
It came about this morning when I was taking pictures of my yard before the sun was over the trees and I realized where I learned to do that....Just a few years ago I would wait til it was nice and bright outside to take pictures and they didn't turn out so good...so I knew my Daddy is a really good photographer so I asked him...He told me to take pictures early morning or late afternoon or stand in the shade if the sun is high....changed the quality of my pictures.......BUT I WENT TO SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE IN WHAT I WANTED TO LEARN!!!!!!
for the life of me, I do not understand thinking somebody has good counsel when they have never ever done what you want to know about......they can only give you some opinion of theirs....go for the experience..the more experience, the better.....it is the only way to grow well.....
I am very passionate about this subject....mentoring...listening...mainly choosing wisely the voices we listen to....
not everyone that acts like they know everything actually knows what they are talking about....LOOK at their life...they can only guide you into what they are living.....nothing more....I promise.....
Here is what she told me......if you want to know how to raise your children, find somebody that HAS ALREADY DONE IT!!!!!!!!! and somebody that was successful at doing it.....(look at their grown children too) and talk to them...find out what they did and how they did it.......
We are in a society now that doesn't believe that. I am in a university town and it is filled with young people...and most of them think they are way smarter than the older people....the dynamics of living here can be challenging....
Professors teach from behind their desk about how to run a company without ever having done it themselves......
One of the most popular things is blogging about motherhood...that is wonderful and I am sure keeps a lot of girls sane and feeling like they are not alone...BUT......and a great big but......where are the experienced mamas?? The ones that have done this job of mothering and been successful at it? I believe there is most definitely a disconnect here between the generations...I don't know how it happened..that is not my worry...My thoughts are about how do we remedy this?
I have observed young mamas that have very little experience trying to guide other young mamas with less experience and they both really NEED some counsel from a much more experienced mama...because from this mamas perspective, neither one of them are giving very good counsel to the other..they are just bouncing back and forth what they have come up with on their own....
Why are the younger women having to do this on their own? are we as older women not available? or are they just not willing to listen to older and wiser counsel because it is not what they want to hear? do they really want to raise successful adults or not? I have younger and older readers and would love to hear some feedback on this one....
It came about this morning when I was taking pictures of my yard before the sun was over the trees and I realized where I learned to do that....Just a few years ago I would wait til it was nice and bright outside to take pictures and they didn't turn out so good...so I knew my Daddy is a really good photographer so I asked him...He told me to take pictures early morning or late afternoon or stand in the shade if the sun is high....changed the quality of my pictures.......BUT I WENT TO SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE IN WHAT I WANTED TO LEARN!!!!!!
for the life of me, I do not understand thinking somebody has good counsel when they have never ever done what you want to know about......they can only give you some opinion of theirs....go for the experience..the more experience, the better.....it is the only way to grow well.....
I am very passionate about this subject....mentoring...listening...mainly choosing wisely the voices we listen to....
not everyone that acts like they know everything actually knows what they are talking about....LOOK at their life...they can only guide you into what they are living.....nothing more....I promise.....
thank you for reading this morning..
.I surely would like to hear what you have to say about this matter.....I think our grandchildren's generation is at stake ... their mamas need to find seasoned and experienced women to listen to..and we need to be available.....
Share what you are experienced in.......whenever a younger woman asks...
be ready.....
Mona
Mona, I think it comes from our cultures new lack of respect for older people. Our culture worships youth and in turn ignorance. In other cultures, particularly Asian ones this is not so. I know a young mother who quit giving a baby formula before he was 12mos old. I could go on and on. She will not listen to me. A mother and a former pediatric R.N. Apparently I know nothing on the matter. It boggles the mind and you are on the right track with this blog. Very good question. xoxo, olive
ReplyDeleteVery well stated Mona!
ReplyDeleteI have a 16 year old granddaughter that I believe thinks I know little or nothing/ha
For instance, we were talking about our phones one day and she said that instagram doesn't work on hers. I said why doesn't it? Let me look at it and see what is wrong? She quickly picked up her phone and started talking to someone else....
Oh well....
I liked this post! Good Job!
Mona, my mother just told me that the instructions would come with the baby! They did not!!! I think that perhaps some of us think we do not have a lot to offer young mothers. My daughter seems a lot smarter about some of her parenting than I ever was. I will say, though, that when I was very young, I was fortunate to be surrounded by older women who wanted to spend time with me. I would take nothing for the richness that those gracious ladies added to my life.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Also, my father used to tell me something about advice - "Wise men don't need it and fools won't heed it". Maybe, that is why I hesitate to give much of it!
ReplyDeleteSometimes younger people have something we older folks can learn from them. All things considered I DO have to agree with what you've written as it echoes the book of Titus and I'll agree with scripture always
ReplyDelete