Defining "Family" by Dr. Roger A. Rhoades

ARTICLES

DISCOVER
Dr. Rhoades'
NEW BOOK:
Living in the Moment

Articles
by Dr. Rhoades:

Defining Family

The New Player

Looking for
"the Oprah"

Dating a
Cakeman

trouble.com

Chasing Love!

Last Year Sure
Went by FAST!

The Relationship
Lottery

How to be
Upbeat without being Beat up!

Just Who Am
I Trying to Get Even With?

When is it ever
going to be
"MY" turn?

A Shortcut
or A Long Fall?

Mr. or Ms.
"Justin Case"

Refusing to Get
Caught Up in
the Blame Game

Associates of
Dr. Rhoades:
Dr. Lynn Ianni

Author's Note: Please feel free to share this article. My only requirement for reprinting is that you credit me with a byline and print my short biographical and contact information at the end.

A Recipe for Good Parenting
by Dr. Roger A. Rhoades

What does making a pie the "old fashioned way" have to do with creating wholesome, natural and healthy young people today? Plenty, because the recipe is nearly the same. Time and patience are the two main ingredients and if you don't have them, you might be surprised how that pie (or your children) will turn out.

In the days of making pies from scratch, cooking was about planning the time to create a hands-on work of art. It was about:

...getting all the right cooking utensils together.
...choosing only the freshest natural ingredients.
...preparing fruits & vegetables in their own season to capture peak flavor.
...folding everything together carefully.
...adding a pinch of this or a drop of that for special zest.
...pushing and prodding the dough gently into just the right shape.
...slitting the top crust for the steam to find a safe way out.
...checking often so it would be cooked just enough but not too much.
...basking in the warmth of your labor your love.
Now, let's compare that description to pie making on the brink of the millenium. Today, it's about how anybody can do it and it always comes out the same. It's about:

...eyeballing the packaged desserts in your freezer.
...grabbing the nearest one that happens to be a pie.
...pulling it out of its carton.
...shoving it into the microwave.
...setting the timer.
...telling everybody to serve themselves when the buzzer sounds.
It's quick, it's easy, measures up to federal guidelines, tastes exactly like the last one you nuked and even looks a little like homemade pie, yet somehow, you can't help but notice that something is missing.

Copyright © 1999—2007, Dr. Roger A. Rhoades, All rights reserved

A licensed professional counselor for more than 20 years, Dr. Roger Rhoades is a popular relationship therapist who has gained a national following through his appearances on television talk shows. He is also a frequent contributor to national magazines on subjects that include dating, breakup recovery and infidelity. You may email Dr. Rhoades at: TVDoc2@aol.com