Young people need heroes. They need positive role models to aspire to. Most often these are sportsmen and women who society places on a pedestal. With the recent closing of the Summer Olympics, there were 46 medalists returning to Australia who many of our students will look up to. The whole Olympic team trained exceptionally hard to earn the right to represent our country and have all earned the right to be respected and honoured accordingly.

For many though, Sport is not going to be where their heroes come from. Often their heroes are much closer to home. Young people look up to those adults who have supported them, sacrificed for them and worked hard to give them the opportunities that often they were unable to have themselves. Yes, I’m talking particularly about parents. You can be the greatest hero to your child. You can be the Superhero.

Parenting is probably the hardest role in life and has the biggest responsibility attached to it. The rules around parenting never seem to be set in stone either, because, as the child grows and matures, the home rules around how they are to be treated and cared for change too. This is extremely confusing for most parents and can be the cause of great frustration for children.  There is no rule book for parents and so the boundaries about what is allowed and what isn’t becomes blurred. 

• What time should my child be in bed?
• What age should I allow them to have a mobile phone?
• How much time should I allow them to be on their iPad?
• And so on and so on…

I recently saw this post of how parenting compares to being a Superhero. I think many of you will appreciate the similarities.

Here are three ways you can develop your Superhero status.

Superheroes are strong

Be Strong: Be firm once you have worked out a fair set of rules for your children then stick to them. Don’t let the boundaries shift. This will make you appear to have superhuman strength and whilst your child will fight against you, they will soon learn that nothing can change your rules. Establish dates for the rules to be reviewed but then stick to them. Don’t be fooled by the argument “But so-n-so’s parent lets them do it…”

Superheroes sacrifice time

Nothing is greater or worth more than the time you give to your child. Give, give and then give a bit more. This will be what your child will remember about you in 30 years time. They will forget the toys and even the iPads and other tech gimmicks, but they will never forget you falling asleep reading to them at the end of the day or the fishing trip where it rained non-stop.

Superheroes are leaders

Children need leaders; someone who goes in front, shows the way and provides protection. Parents must lead their children. Be ready for them to imitate you though! As you lead they follow and soon they will copy what you do – both the good and the bad. What a huge responsibility it is to lead children.

I pray that you will be the Superhero to your child and that you are richly blessed in your role as parent.

Mr David Heyworth, Head of Senior School