Judge Hatchett was on television the other day in a different role than the one that requires her to wear her big black robe or where she’s encouraging young rebellious teens to take a tour of their local jail. It was her promoting her new parent empowering community called parentpowernow.com. I think we are finally catching on to the idea that when it comes to us adults solving world problems, it’s probably a little late. It all lies in the hands of our children and us parent’s who are currently out robbing banks to feed them. Who has time to dream, huh?

Seriously, it is a good movement…not to far from Dr. Seuss’s “Who Are You Sue Snue?” where Sue is asked what she is going to be when she grows up? I made my 11-yr-old make a list of as many different occupations as he could come up with and then narrow it down to his top five that he could see himself doing. I’m hoping with internet access along with some inspiration of other young kids who are beginning their legacy before they are told they have to go work at McDonald’s, that he will begin dreaming and looking toward the future.

When it comes to us adults, there are so many weights in our roles as financial providers, care givers and just living in the real world that our efforts are often limited in really being whatever it is that we want to be. However, as I have told my oldest, he has the time now to at least begin thinking, researching and experiencing on some level, whatever he wants to be or do without those restrictions and time constraints. He’s got parents right now who are going to make sure that the lights stay on. He’s met me with some resistance and with a response of “I’m still a kid” to which I respond, that is exactly why you need to think about these things now. It’s our children’s imaginations and ability to think outside the box that can spark real change in the world along with giving them the personal fulfillment and happiness that we are all searching for.

I remember my aunt used to push me with “you need to get a hobby”. However I didn’t connect hobby, college and career. I looked as a hobby as something like collecting or a waste of time that would be separate from what I did to “make a living”. I didn’t think that I could use what I had a passion for to create dreams, much less support myself with. Even the small missing links can prevent us in connecting the dots and being able to create and dream.

Usually dots are already there in a child, right in front of the parent. However, without the proper parenting skills and awareness, there is no way that these gifts or interest that a child has can be fostered, or grew. In that, the whole world suffers. I know with my kids, they have specific gifts and talents that will more than likely lead them in specific directions that I along with their father will hopefully be able to guide to their fullest potentials. However, I didn’t have this growing up and even though writing was obviously a great passion of mine, I had to find it on my own. It wasn’t until I was an adult and it took great pains to get me on a positive path with it and away from other things that weren’t so positive or fulfilling for me. Our educational system doesn’t seem to promote or foster dreams either. It seems more about fostering test scores and teaching curriculums that most students never remember, much less take with them. Beyond your basic reading, writing and arithmatic, what do you remember? 

While our hope does lie with our children, it is in the hands of the parent’s who (I hate to go back to this again, but…) are using those same hands to hold gun’s in order to get the bills paid. So while I commend Hatchett’s efforts with this great website for parents to empower their children by teaching them how to dream, I also know that it’s really hard to teach your children something that you often feel you don’t even have the time or support to do yourself.