The Doctor recommends to fly a kite.

I beg to differ with the good doctor, last week as I was driving north towards Pocatello Idaho a regular feature of a radio program came on the air discussing how the time will come that parents will need to cut the strings and let our children go, live and discover the world. On my last entry I eluded to the fact that it was hard to see a child leave the safety of the “Nest”. This good Doctor, although well known and I am sure well intended, made some comments that has bothering me for the past few days.

This well known Doctor referred to the raising of a child like flying a kite. We as parents will run with the child in their younger years. But much like a kite will fly erratically with out the balance of a tail our children will fly a bit erratically with out balance. Therefore to get the kite up into the air we would tie a tail on the kite creating a more balance kite, one that could fly straight. I would equate the tying of the tail to the knowledge and values that we teach our children.

But as was stated in the commentary, we as parents will watch a kite fly, holding fast to the string, holding on to the very end, as long as we could. But then there comes a time when we must let go of the kite string and watch the kite fly away. And this according to the Doctor is when our jobs as parents are finished.

Now although I like the analogy of the kite, I have to disagree on a couple of points that the Doctor made. First it must be apparent that this good Doctor has not flown a kite before, for if he had he would know that once you release the string 3 things happen, first the kite starts to drift farther and farther from you, second the kite start floating out of control and lastly, the kite comes spiraling toward the earth and lands who knows where.

I feel that as a parent our responsibility s to have enough string on hand as to let our children fly freely. That as the kite flyer becomes more familiar with how the kite will fly then more string is let out. This will allow the kite to soar higher ensuring to take all precaution to not allow the kite to come crashing to the earth. But if the kite does crash we are there untangle the string, wind it back on the spool, fix any broken parts and send the kite back into the air.

The same holds true with our children. Through the many experiences and values that we instill in our children lives become balanced, much like the tail of the kite offers balance the kite. Then we as parents have the responsibility to hold onto the string to ensure that the kite stays on course able to climb higher and higher with each passing day. But once we get to the end of the spool do we figure that we have done all we could and let go of the child? I would hope not, I would venture that we would find more string to allow them to soar even higher without letting go of the kite string. Therefore the kite, as with the child will not come crashing to the earth and like the kite the child will always have an attachment to the parents.

And finally, the “job” of being a parent is one that you cannot just be finished with or quit. Although I am sure that there are parents that would like to quit for a couple years, (the potty training years come to mind or the dating years, a whole different topic for a different time) the job of being a parent is an eternal responsibility, a responsibility that should not be taken lightly or thinking that it is only temporary. Because once a parent you will always be a parent and there is no quitting, being fired or relinquishing your responsibility as a parent.

So just because your child s flying on their own we must make sure that we as parents have a firm grip on the string all the while still letting them soar to new heights. So to all of the parents in the world, “Lets go fly a kite”….