Mary Ann
Mama Bears are fierce mothers. They would defend their babies with their lives. As they rear their cubs, the mamas teach them how to take care of themselves. Then one day, Mama Bears send their cubs up a tree and walk away. Suddenly, the cubs are on their own and eventually climb down the tree and begin their lives.
I think there are real lessons that the Mama Bears could teach all parents. Of course, we aren’t sending our children up trees and are not going to walk away from them. However, learning to be independent is a real gift for life. Over my 40 years as an educator, I wrote several articles about letting children fail, and afterwards, learning to pick themselves up and begin again. When children make mistakes, they need to know that they can recover from them. Each small lesson builds on one another, so they learn how to handle bigger challenges later in life.
Every time we swoop in to save our children, we are telling them that they cannot help themselves. Life is hard, and children need to learn how to manage those tough times. When you start small, it builds self-confidence for children. As a parent, I picked my children up way too many times. Guilty, Guilty, Guilty! I tried to make a perfect world for them. Guilty, Guilty, Guilty! As I look back, I should have made them figure out their own problems and save them less.I realize that once you become a parent, you are a parent forever. However, you are not responsible to take care of your children when they become adults. Statistically, 65% of parents are supporting their adult children and grandchildren in some way. Many cannot afford this and pay for their own retirement. As older adults, we don’t know how long we will live and will we have enough money to last for the whole retirement. Life is indeed hard, and if you can underwrite your children’s lifestyle, more power to you. Nevertheless, many retirees cannot fund their children’s lives. It is a hard decision, but we need to be independent and take care of ourselves. Most financial advisors will tell you to do this. It is time to be Mam
Silver Sage Sisters 