William Wallace was a 13th-century Scottish leader who attempted to throw the English out of Scotland. He gave his energy and passion—and eventually his life—to free Scotland from English oppression. But many of the noblemen had titles and lands that had been given to them by the English king, and they didn’t want to risk losing all that with a rebellion.
Wallace negotiated and even begged, but he could not persuade the nobles to come together. As this is depicted in the movie Braveheart, Wallace shouted, “You’re so concerned with squabbling for scraps from the king’s table, that you’ve missed your God-given right to something far better.”
A Child's Basic Needs
And so we have done as parents. It is our God-given right to love our children unconditionally—without disappointment or anger—and teach them how to feel loved, to be loving, and to be responsible. Such children DO become happy and fulfilled. But how can we give this kind of love—Real Love—when we ourselves have rare seen or felt it, if ever? How?
When A Child's Basic Needs Aren't Met
We can’t, and because our children are starving for this kind of love that they need most, they react by doing whatever they can to treat their existential pain: whining, anger, fighting, anxiety, addiction to phones and video games, failure in school, rebellion, lack of responsibility, depression, eating disorders, porn—you know, all that kid stuff that destroys their happiness. These behaviors kill them emotionally, spiritually, in relationships.
We see and feel their pain, and we TRY to diminish their pain. We give them screens, entertainment, clothing, and so much more—all COMFORTS to pacify them. But in so doing, we are settling for SCRAPS from our children and from life—as Wallace said to the scrabbling nobles. We settle for our children’s APPROVAL and quiet, when we could be giving them a kind of glorious happiness that we can scarcely imagine.
Learn How to Meet Your Child's Basic Needs
Oh, but how can we do this for our children? How can we find what William Wallace called “our God-given right to much better?” We don’t have to figure it out. We can learn principles that have been proven effective for children of all ages and cultures. Go to RealLoveParents.com and learn. Learn how to stop settling for scraps. Learn how to love and teach your children.
You can do this, so let's get started.
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