Camelot Sweatshop?
Posted by: crystalgable on: April 17, 2008
Did you see Maria Shriver on Oprah yesterday? She talked about what it was like growing up in the Kennedy family. I had always imagined it to be really exciting and fun. Her father started the Peace Corps and her mom created the Special Olympics. She admitted that growing up in her family could be stressful and that they constantly evaluated whether their children were busy and achieving something. The kids basically had to earn love. What do you think about this? In a generation of self-centered over-consumers, maybe being goal-oriented and service-minded doesn’t sound so bad?
7 Responses to "Camelot Sweatshop?"
April 17, 2008 at 11:38 pm
I can not wait to take my kids on a Mexican mission trip. Service is so important, but your heart has to be in it.
I don’t think earning love is the way to go, but we all could benefit from getting over ourselves once in a while and give of ourselves to the least of us.
Goals are wonderful too, but there must be a balance. Burnout or slacker is the outcome when there isn’t a healthy balance.
April 18, 2008 at 6:53 am
In previous interviews I’ve heard her say that they would sit around the dinner table and talk about politics. At the time, I thought to myself “wow, that’s far cry from take-out tacos and American Idol.” I don’t know how to do that with my kids. But I was impressed.
Of coarse ‘earning love’ isn’t really a good situation for kids.. but pushing them to make a difference in the world and follow their dreams to the point of success sounds like a good thing to me.
April 18, 2008 at 4:22 pm
Our kids have the unconditional kind of love, but they definately have to earn the respect. And that goes both ways.
April 19, 2008 at 12:07 am
I have been pretty rigid about forcing (I mean encouraging) my kids to perform public service. But they don’t have to earn my love-just my respect.
April 19, 2008 at 6:48 am
I don’t believe a child should have to earn their parent’s love. I do think they should be taught responsibility and compassion for others. They have to be taught this because we are basically selfish left to our own devices. We need the discipline of looking outside ourselves to help others.
April 21, 2008 at 9:17 am
We all ‘expect’ something or another from our kids. Just because some parents expect more than others doesn’t necessarily mean they are ‘earning love’..
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April 17, 2008 at 12:13 pm
No. I didn’t see it, but now I wish I had. My kids certainly don’t have to earn love, but I think I am always checking to see if they are living up to their potential and being of service to others. I self check that on myself too.