#9
As children are growing up parents approach their children in positive or sometimes in negative ways. In the essays “The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask…” by Neil Millar and “Be-ers and Doers” by Budge Wilson, it is shown the different approaches parents can take towards their children. Both passages demonstrate how the parents want the best for their children but “The Most Powerful Question a Parent can Ask…” takes a more respectful approach.

Throughout the article “The Most Powerful Question a Parent can Ask…” the author tells how giving children greater responsibilities makes them more well-rounded confident and considerate. When Millar’s children turned five “[they] have done all the things that a lot of mothers still do”. Millar goes on to say that his responsibilities as a parent are “to first nurture then educate, then, as soon as they are ready, hand over the responsibility for their well-being to them”. It is also suggested that when the children’s responsibilities around the household are increase, the parent should let them know they really appreciate it. “Give them a hug for their help and they might do even more!”. This approach to a successful upbringing of children is not only affective but also a respect for the children is shown. Once the parent shows respect for their child it will be easier for the child to want to help out around the house and will make them better people in the future.


In the second essay “Be-ers and Doers” the mother is trying to force her child to be something that he is not. The son in this passage is a laid-back, level headed person who is complete opposite of his mother. The boy’s mother wants him to be “a perfect son”, “that he is going to be a fast moving doer”. However the son is a be-er meaning he goes through life just satisfied to be. This torments the mother throughout the son’s adolescents years and she tries to get him to “pull up [his] socks or he’s gonna be in deep trouble”, but to no avail. A incident happens at the families house where a fire starts. The son organizes the whole family in a hurry and the fire gets put out. This is the first time the mother is proud of her son and he is a teenager. She saw that he was “one hundred percent alive” for the first time and now she “expects to have no more excuses from [him] now. “[She] will never rest until she [sees] [him] educated and successful”. The son goes on to say that “[he] is gunna be himself” and he leaves home. The mother is not approaching her son in a respectful way to help him be the person she wants him to be. So it is shown that when no respect is shown then things do not turn out in a positive way.

In the essay “The Most Powerful Question a Parent Can Ask…” by Neil Millar, the respectful approach of raising children is discussed. While in the essay “Be-ers and Doers” by Budge Wilson, it is shown that when no respect is shown while raising children the parent doesn’t get what is wanted.