I just had to sit through a speech about how you should “listen to your parents and teachers” and “Listen more, talk less”. Honestly, it felt a little condescending.
When I have children [be them mine or someone else’s] I want them to trust me like we’re told to trust Wikipedia. There’s no difference really - I’d be full of helpful information that can work wonders, but honestly, some of it’s shit.
When I have children, I want them to be less bigoted then I am. They will have opportunities that I don’t, and I don’t want my outdated views getting in the way of their progress.
When I have children I want them to understand that I am trying to pass down the good that came from my generation and others while releasing them from the bad, but that my filters may not be perfect. They are allowed not to have my values, so long as they are working towards a better world.
But most importantly, when I have children, I don’t want them thinking that my word is law, because it won’t be. Not when they’re grown up. I don’t want them to feel like just because I’m older, I’m some special snowflake. Yes, I want respect as a person, but I want that respect to be true respect, not obedience and fear.
