Better parenting is way you can prevent horrors

We ask ourselves,“What is wrong with people?” Ask what is wrong with parenting. We are facilitating environments conducive to these kinds of tragedies.

Children behave on the effects of parenting. We cowardly fault society. We are responsible for developing and ensuring our children's mental health. Blaming society is hypocrisy. Society is the collective result of parenting.

Parents are teachers, protectors and counselors. Friendship is not effective parenting. Crimes are manifested by years of neglect, misguidance, absent morals, bullying, spoiling and violent stimulus in modern childhood.

Leaving children to their bedroom for weekend marathons of simulated combat and social media activity breeds impaired social health. It is social isolation and it is destructive. Children need real-world activity. A toolbox, a farm, a zoo, a playground, tree houses, fishing poles, sporting grounds. Get back to the fundamentals of parenting. They need family.

Being a parent means being involved. Passive parenting is destructive parenting. Teach them self-reliance and self-administration and harbor their creativity. Acknowledge potential. Praise them. Abate isolation and teach them to confront challenges. And when necessary, we must discipline them more effectively than revoking cellphone privileges and game time.

There will be unavoidable acts such as those at Sandy Hook. Parenting is the most effective tool in avoiding these horrors. We must stop this cultural trend of emotional pampering and parenting our children's “feelings.” It's gutless parenting. Step up and be a parent, and if you won't, don't be one.

Matt Bergstrom

Swisher