There Are No Excuses for Being a Snob

This morning a good friend gave me a virtual slap in the face. I am not sure if he realizes this or not, but it was a gift that I am grateful for. We were discussing advancing communications technology and our mutual love of gadgets and I was listing off all of the “stuff” that my teens have. He began to wonder about those children who come from “have-not” environments and at what a disadvantage they might be. His thinking immediately went into a “what can I do” mode. Mine did not. My thinking immediately judged particular families I have known, who do not provide the basic nutritional needs nor do they provide proper winter clothing for their children and yet with the resources that they do have, they buy them lots of electronic gadgets.

I live an abundant life and am grateful to be able to give my children so much and in turn I know how grateful they are to have a safe and loving home that provides them, not only with their basic needs, but many wants. When one has the extra wants, it is easy to say that love, food, and shelter should always be the priority before any of the extras, but these are those privileged life eyes that I am looking through. And it is not for me to judge. Just as I am parenting to the best of my abilities, in this moment, with what I know right now, so are other parents. Just as my heart burst with joy when my son opened up his electronic drum kit and my daughter her iPad, so do other parents’ hearts burst with joy to watch their children open up their treasures.

There is no hierarchy in this life that we live, no one person is better or worse than another and there are no excuses for being a snob and judging someone else’s way of parenting.

Thanks Tim for stopping me in my tracks.

…Ellyn