How My Deeply Held Personal Beliefs Helped Me Raise Two Capable and Powerful Daughters

We were driving along in the family car when Piano Man by Billy Joel came on the radio. My daughter has been taking piano lessons for the last 3 years and she’s become very good. Without thinking, I asked, “Why don’t you learn how to play this song? It’s not that hard.”

Immediately, I recognized my mistake and so did my daughter.

After a brief pause, she asked, “How would you know daddy? You don’t play the piano.”

In some families, this kind of exchange between parent and child would be considered “unacceptable.” The father is often seen as the “patriarch,” he’s the “head of the household,” his word is law! Even when the father is wrong, a child should know better than to speak against him. When I was growing up, people used to say, “Children should be seen and not heard.”

But it has always been my deeply held personal belief to revere truth and accountability, never authority. So, my daughter’s comment did not provoke any frustration. In fact, it filled me with pride. No matter how I might feel about the matter, I couldn’t ignore…