Parents can make it easy

The papers are full of letters and articles from members of my generation and older criticising the youth for their attitudes and behaviour.

Let's get all this in perspective and then ask why it continues to happen.

There has always been this division seemingly since post-Second World War, with teds, rockers, mods, hippies, punks and so on. Many of us were part of those groups (tribes) who thought ourselves alienated, disenchanted and misunderstood.

So why, when we become parents, are we not able to see the same signs developing in our children and guide them, as much as possible, though this difficult period.

I have just read Christopher Reeves' book about how his injury changed his life and how he reflected on parenthood in a different way. His thoughts nailed the mistakes we as adults can make when exercising the mechanics of parenthood.

My own parents were exactly the same, wanting something better than they had, admirable and natural.

In their case, however, there were no goals set, no pressure. Although never academically gifted my father was wise and worldly and I believe understood the mechanics of life far better than most. He in many ways held the same belief Mr Reeve had in that encouragement should not be blinded by a need to use children as extensions of our own ideas.

We need to encourage passion, be it academic, sporting, anything, even if it seems mundane. We need to understand the complexities of youth and hold the tools that keep the engine working so success becomes relative and is not driven by our own well thought out plan.

Yes some rebel, yes some walk on the wild side and yes in a multi-media world obsessed with materialism it becomes increasingly difficult to be a good parent.

Our children are humans, they have this gift to evolve and maybe if we use our own experiences, bad or good, we can make their journey a little easier.

Billy Spakemon, Tower Road, Tividale.