As an organization that advocates for the well-being of our nation’s children, we were troubled by Ruben Navarrette Jr.’s Sept. 17 column. We all have a stake in the future success of our children. But in jumping on the “blame the parents” bandwagon, Navarrette ignores the real and often overlooked barriers to the success of our children, as well as the very real solution: communities that invest in and support–not judge–parents and families.
Too often we leave parents adrift in communities with depressed economies, increasing violence and a void of support, while they work two jobs to pay for pre-school and health care or save for their children’s college education. And then they are harassed by a culture that sees children less in terms of their developmental potential than their marketing and consumer potential.
On top of all this, we blame parents for the very conditions that make their success as parents so difficult to attain.
One recent study found that a majority of parents are “going it alone” in relative isolation from their communities. Another found that one-third of parents felt “very unprepared” for the task.
Parents want to do a good job.
And as community members, we want them to succeed.
We would do better to focus our energies less on laying blame and more on creating communities with access to the opportunity, information, services and support that all families need and want to succeed.
As neighbors and community members, we can do much to lay the groundwork for a productive generation of citizens.
We’re all better off when that happens.
