Today’s Ethics Lessons

I’m sure you’re all glued to your televisions or Twitter or however you get your news. The president is in a boat load of trouble. But that’s not my wheelhouse. While we watch the trainwreck let’s remember that our children are watching us. My earliest political memory is actually the Watergate scandal. I was 10 the summer Nixon resigned. 

Some things to think about when we share this story with our kids.

The president took an oath of office to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. Let’s talk about the integrity of our word. What does it mean to promise to put the needs of your country above your own personal needs? 

Let’s talk about the abuse of power. How do those in positions of power take advantage of that position? What does it mean to ask someone a favor when you control their safety? What does it mean to have an imbalanced negotiation? Think about how often our children are in positions where they are vulnerable to the abuse of power. Think about their future if they understand now, just how important it is to use power responsibly. 

When are you a whistleblower and when are you a tattletail? How hard was it for people to speak up when they see something wrong? What protections are in place to make it safer for people to tell hard truths? Who can we talk to about things that we don’t think are right? 

And my favorite parenting topic- accountability. I work so hard on accountability as the core of my family’s values, my parenting philosophy. When people ask what I do with my kids since I don’t do punishments and consequences and I try not to use guilt trips and emotional manipulation…what else is there?

Accountability- I want my kids to believe that I am accountable for my actions and hold them accountable for theirs and want to live in a world where people are held to account. 

Accountability is taught through example. I share my successes and my failures, my struggles and my pride. I work hard at not making excuses. Accountability has to happen all the time, with all the people. I hold people accountable in my life- for letting me down or not following through or for going above and beyond. 

Accountability starts with taking ownership for your commitments. I am responsible for being a good parent and it is my responsibility to try and have all the tools and resources necessary to be a good parent. If I want my kids to be accountable for their commitments first I have to be sure that they are their commitments. I often find myself frustrated with my kids for not doing something they never actually committed to doing. When people take ownership of their commitments, and have the resources they need they are able to step into solution mode if things start to go wrong. Accountability is often about cleaning up messes. 

Remember that they are always watching and that they see how we act and how we treat people. They know what side of justice we are on. They know what fights we fight. What a great opportunity to talk about the values we are committed to.

Maureen