My daughter came home earlier this week with burns on her arm. It was an accident at school involving hot oil, water, following her teacher’s instructions over her own instincts, with some instant repercussions. Worse still was her classmates castigation – that burned worse than the hot oil.
Respect for elders, and for authority, is a value that we have long spoken about with our kids. We’ve not spoken about the exceptions enough- the other side of the equation. Standing up for yourself when the authority figure is stepping well beyond their remit, or abusing their authority.
Experiences such as the one she had this week are a reminder that nothing, even values, is black and white. We must learn from these experiences, kids and adults alike. We have to, or suffer the consequences.