In light of what is being projected by the media lately, I wanted
to take a moment and write about who the true
role model your child should be looking up to. You.
Hasn't every parent heard from their mini me, “I want to be
a (teacher, doctor, football player, singer, actress, etc…) when I grow up!” I
am starting to think the tides are changing.
In the news recently, local and national, we have heard
stories of a football player punching his fiance so hard that she passes out, a
standoff with a school board president who is wanted for sex crimes against
children, a doctor who was accused of molesting his patients while under anesthesia,
Miley Cyrus who is a bunch of twerk stories rolled into one bundle of hot mess,
I can’t keep up with the Kardashians (someone please remind me why they are
famous!), and don’t even get me start on the Bieber.
Why are we allowing these people be role models for our up
and coming generation? Why are we even placing these kind of stories on the
news at night? I personally, would rather hear about the charitable things a
football player has done, instead of one being suspended for 1 year for smoking
pot. Where is the story about John Cena, the wrestler, working with Kids Wish
Network? Did you know he has helped grant the most wishes for the Make-a-Wish
Foundation than any other celebrity? And
what about Lebron James? He has donated more than $2.5 million to the Boys and
Girls Club of America.
You don’t hear about these things on Sports Center or ESPN.
You may (and I use this term loosely) hear about them on the late night news,
but they skim over it and don’t give it the time it deserves. Yes, the media
wants ratings and right now ratings means giving the public a story of a
celebrity’s fall from grace. Basically the media is a bully.
I want my daughter to be raised with a clear definition of
what is right and what is wrong. Hitting someone is wrong. Bullying is wrong.
Raping someone is wrong. Grinding upon someone else’s husband (public or not)
is wrong. Cheating is wrong. Lying is wrong. Blaming others for your mistakes
is wrong. Now what is right? Making your dreams come true. Believing in
yourself. Being true to yourself. Getting a great education. Praising God.
Loving yourself and others.
I know that everyone has their own opinion, and this just
happens to be mine. I am aware that the media wants to portray that celebrities
are people too and they make mistakes just like the rest of us. But the
difference is, the rest of us don’t have our most private and personal mistakes
shown on national news.
So by ending, I want to be my daughter’s role model. I want
her to be just like me. I have a college degree, own my own house, own my own
car, pay my bills on time, have a full time job that I enjoy, don’t do drugs, don’t
fight, I have friends that I consider family, I have a family that I treasure,
and I praise God every day for all the blessings in my life. Yeah, I consider
myself my child’s role model. I am showing my daughter that hard work, perseverance,
and faith in God will make for a better life than being a “celebrity”. I want
my daughter to one day say to me, “Mommy, I want to be just like you when I
grow up”. But for right now, I will settle for “ookie mama ookie!”.
