Confession: I lie and cheat to help my kids (and so do you)
Forgive me reader, for I have sinned. I am constantly breaking the rules to help my children ? and I?ve been doing it since they were born.
Compounding my guilt, it never weighed on my conscience at all. Or, it didn?t until I read about the college admission scandal. The FBI uncovered a ring that placed students in Ivy League schools by faking SAT scores and athletic ability, or simply by bribery.
As would be expected, public reaction was swift and harsh. The parents were condemned from the left and right; everyone was affronted by the idea that less deserving children were allowed to push their way to the front of the meritocracy.
Undoubtedly like you, I was appalled at the sordid details and wondered what kind of person thinks it?s permissible to behave like this. I would never act in the same way. Except, when I thought about it for a moment, I realized that I do, all the time. I haven?t paid off a college admissions officer, but I?ve never hesitated to bend the rules whenever needed. It started when they were very young, with the innocent white lies. I would assure my son the smear of brown crayon was indeed a beautiful butterfly. When we played Snakes & Ladders, I would cheat just enough to lose convincingly. When my daughter twirled around in the kitchen wearing what could only be described as a mismatched mess, I looked her in the eye and told her she looked?great. All harmless and forgettable transgressions, but from there things only got worse.
Of course, I wou...
-------------------------------- |
|
COMPETITION: Win a 5-star Family Holiday in Limassol, Cyprus
27-04-2024 08:05 - (
moms )