The Forgiven Parent There is a new breed of parent walking among us. Whether we recognize it or not, we have all come across one of them sooner or later. Maybe it was the young mother in the grocery store handing her screaming child the candy she had just finished and telling him he couldn't have. Maybe it was the man who sat obliviously behind you on the plane, while his little boy ran up and down the aisle, screaming at the top of his lungs. These are the forgiven parents. To forgive means to excuse, absolve, exonerate, condone, or justify. Pardon for a crime may be granted by a head of state, such as a monarch or president. If a pardon is granted, it means that the person is absolved of any wrongdoing and any punishment associated with that crime is no longer required. The forgiven parent is one who excuses or exempts himself from responsibility for his child's actions. These parents believe that their children's bad behavior is in no way caused by anything they may or may not have done. They have many, many excuses for their children's hateful behavior. Some of the most common are: ADHD, blood sugar fluctuations, allergies, Asperger's syndrome, sleep disorders, hunger, thirst, exposure to violent games and television programs, dyslexia and autism. The truth is, while these diseases and conditions exist and can exacerbate bad behavior, they do not excuse it. Parents are still responsible for teaching their children to control themselves. This may be more difficult in some circumstances, but is very rarely impossible. One of the greatest responsibilities of parents is teaching their children the skills they will need to become successful adults. Some… middle of paper… no longer have any obligation to even attempt to control the actions of their children. These parents not only believe they are blameless, but they also resent any violation of what they believe is their child's right to misbehave. Forgiven parents expect others to ignore, at all costs, their children's unkind and selfish behavior. So, the next time you're sitting in church and a kid sits behind you, kicking your chair and talking loudly while his mother does nothing, pretend not to notice because it's very likely he's the parent who the son have already been pardoned for their actions. Works Cited1 “The Miracle Worker”. Wikipedia. 2011. Network. March 10, 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Miracle_Worker2. L. Coates. "Famous people with Asperger's syndrome or similar autistic traits." Asperger's Syndrome.ME.UK. 2011. Network. 10 March 2011