Thursday

the fresh prince on parenting

In THIS ARTICLE in USA Today, actor Will Smith says of the approach he and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith take to raising their three children:

""We feel that we are partners in their life, but they are responsible for their lives," Smith says. "Something we noticed in our upbringing and specifically in the black community coming out of slavery in the United States — children were dealt with in the master-slave relationship. We're trying to break the cycle of 'beat them when they do something wrong.' If you get them used to a master-slave relationship, when they leave your home, they're going to be looking for a master. We want them to be looking for partners."

The Smiths sound like really good parents.

They are also homeschooling.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Technically, he has created a private school for his children, but his goals are praiseworthy.

Elizabeth said...

Wow! That's really cool. How great to hear such a positive thing. I think it's true, that when you have dominance as a model, then when you get out from a dominating relationship you're still looking for that same model--either to be dominated again or to be the dominator. Something I'm still working to break the cycle of...

Anonymous said...

then how come, Elizabeth, you picked just about the most patriarchal church you could find?

Elizabeth said...

Well, that is ironic, isn't it? But when I "picked" the Orthodox church I wasn't in that frame of mind. I stay in it....oh, sometimes I need to be reminded of why I stay in it. But my husband and I really feel that change needs to come from within--if it's going to happen, people can't just leave in disgust. The ones who want change need to work for it. I suppose one big reason I stay in it is that when I'm in a divine liturgy that's done well, there is nothing on God's green earth like the beauty of that worship. No other church even comes close.

Anonymous said...

hm. changing the church. I was told when we joined that one should not be looking at it to change it. well..I finally realized the the christianity I knew and that that was contained there were two different things but I find your views on homosexuality among other things very very frightening. I wonder if your higher ups know where you are really coming from. And how they would feel about it if they did. I saw a lot of dishonesty in the priests during the years I was orthodox..telling their bishop one thing and then practicing another. I was always of the understanding even before I joined and left the orthodox church that we allow God to change US not try to bend Jesus' teachings to our way of mind.