ABSTRACT
I was asked on a radio talk show, "What do you think is the biggest sin, or error of omission, that a parent can commit?" Good question, I thought. After a brief hesitation I gave what I thought was a reasonably good answer: " I think the biggest mistake that a parent can commit is to hold themselves accountable for the inevita ble problems that their children will have. " In spite of my own errors of parenting, I aim for "undamning acceptance" of myself, in spite of parental flaws and deficiencies. I think that until we as parents can learn to accept ourselves with our shortcomings (pres-
ent company included) we will be too upset about our mistakes to correct them. Alfred Adler said, " It's easier to fight for your ideals than to live up to them." Accepting yourself with your blunders is an ideal similar to shooting for the bulls eye in archery. You're not going to hit it every time, but because you have a bead on it, you're likely to hit it or come closer to it more often.
