“[W]e go forward, fallibly of course, but with much hope and much creativity.”
– Francine Lucidon
From the archives: Originally posted on 8th August, 2002
“Quite enough theories, what about the practice? Do we want to bring up genetically modified kids? Well me not!”
HI Malc 
Well you’ve asked a wonderful question here! “What about the practice?” and I’d say …yes! practice, practice, practice!
It is not easy, going against years and years of experience with powerful memes about our relationships, feelings, ways to treat each other. It is not easy, in the face of neighbors, relatives, friends, media, an entire world that acts in ways that effectively stir up those old memes and encourage us to act in ways that we know, now know deeply, will simply dead end us and our relationships. These ideas will leave us, at best, grim and tired at the end of the day, shrugging a defeated “well, that’s life.”
But even more difficult than all of the above, is the idea, once a far better idea has come along, of going back to what we know doesn’t satisfy, doesn’t truly make sense any more. While no parents taking their children seriously are able to practice Taking Children Seriously theory flawlessly, there comes a time when they can see themselves and their families moving ahead, communicating and improving their lives in ways, deep substantial no-going-back ways, that they could not have previously dreamed of.
And so we go forward, fallibly of course, but with much hope and much creativity. Is this genetic modification? Perhaps memetic modification, and that’s a very good thing I’d say. Creativity and happiness are valuable things … I don’t see how anyone can have too much of either.
Sincerely, Francine
See also:
- “What if my child wants to buy every toy in the shop, and does not consult me?”
- Memes survive by being good at getting themselves replicated
- Keeping children safe without imprisoning them in the home
Francine Lucidon, 2002, ‘We go forward with hope’, https://takingchildrenseriously.com/we-go-forward-with-hope