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Hearing the voices of our kids

Published in Times of Israel by Aryeh Ben David
Posted on March 21, 2018

He said he wasn’t going to fast on Yom Kippur.

She traded in her long-sleeved shirts and skirts for tank tops and shorts.
He got a second earring, this one on the top of his ear.

She was tired and annoyed by the rules. Shabbat meals became optional.

And so their parents came to me. The conversation started:

“How do you feel about what your kids are doing?”

“Resentful. Angry. I’m full of despair. I feel like a failure.”

“He’s ruining our family. What will be the effect on our other kids?”

“We’re hitting rock bottom.”

I said: I’m not an expert in parenting — just a fellow traveler. Here is what I’ve learned from walking the path with my children.

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