Do you remember the “Universal Parent” when you were growing up?

The universal parent was everywhere.  They were your neighbor’s mom and your 3^rd grade teacher.  They were your dentist and your little league coach.  Say one swear word and it was in your parent’s ears before you’d even finish saying it.  The greatest tool in the universal parent toolbox was the universal parent “hot line” which, of course, went directly to your parents.  Even the slightest hint of using the hot line could correct any future infractions for days, weeks, and sometimes years to come.

Politeness was the order of the day. You weren’t just expected to be polite—you were polite.  Everything came with a please and a thank you.  If not, the universal parent could and would correct you on the spot.  Civility was a responsibility that the universal parent took seriously, and teaching you as kid, to be polite, was without question.

Now these times are a changing.  We lament the loss of civility and politeness in the world, especially with our children.  But nobody wants to be the universal parent anymore.  No one wants the responsibility.  Yet, we should heed the words of a childhood … Continue reading..