There were opinions flying every which way and a lot of blaming of everyone else. The argument turned into who is responsible if a child runs out into the street in front of a moving car and gets hit? Is the driver at fault or is the child at fault? That I read (and no, I did not read all the comments because I like my drama on sitcoms and not in real life), there was no one saying that there were multiple people at fault: parent, child, and driver.
Why are we so quick to blame other people instead of looking at our own faults? Why is it so much easier to blame another than to say, "I'm sorry for my actions"? When did it become a societal norm to blame the other person?
I recently had to teach my daughter a lesson on personal responsibility. She lost her vest for her Cubbies program, so she now has to deal with the consequences (i.e., not having a vest for Cubbies). My husband and I felt that it was important to teach her the lesson now instead of waiting until it was something more expensive or valuable. But more importantly, we wanted to teach her to own up to her own mistakes.
It was hard and it continues to be hard every time we drop her off and the other kids are wearing their vests. But life lessons aren't always meant to be easy. At the end of the day though, we hope that the struggles now will pay off in dividends with a more responsible young lady who takes care of her things.
As parents, it is our job to teach our kids to grow into responsible kids, teens, and eventually adults. Part of this means teaching them some personal responsibility. If we keep giving them excuses, then that is what they will learn. They will always be able to find a reason to place blame on someone or something else.
I didn't earn that bad grade even though I didn't study enough; it was my teacher's fault. It's not my fault that I'm in debt; it's so easy to buy things now with online shopping.
It wasn't my fault that I ran out into the street without looking and was hit by that car; it was the car's fault for not anticipating my actions and slowing down to a creep. Absolutely, the driver needs to be on alert. That is a part of his/her responsibility when it comes to driving, but the child is also to blame. Children need to know that it's not okay to simply run out into the road without looking. Parents need to teach their children to look both ways and not play near streets or to move to the side when a car is coming. And depending on the age of the child, you may need to physically be outside with your kid, not just listening from inside your house. PS, being outside is good for you too. Now, I have two kids and sometimes my kids get a good head start on me and try to make a break for it. That is completely understandable. But the point still remains that, as a parent, you should be watching your children or making sure that you are leaving them with someone else who is.
Stop the cycle of blaming others for your actions and decisions! It's time to stop the blame game, and time to teach our children to stop blaming others and take responsibility.
And if you don't like the actions being taken by others, then do something constructive about it. In the case of the speed limit issue, I absolutely did do a little complaining about it on Facebook, but I also voiced my opinion through the proper channels. Venting frustrations can be good for you, but it doesn't change things if that is all you do. In the meantime however, I will obey the new posted speed limit, as much as I can and as much as it pains me to do so. It does kind of make me want to go for a run so I can see if I can be faster than a car too!
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