Kids today just don't have the respect for parents they used to. During my years as a teacher, campus minister, substance abuse prevention consultant, and parent, I've heard similar comments from scores of adults. It's so commonplace an observation that it seems trite, even irrelevant. But it isn't irrelevant. Because the parent-child relationship is at the heart of who we are as individuals and plays a huge role in determining how we feel about ourselves and what we do with our lives.
Some adults simply throw up their hands.
That's why I decided to write this booklet. Because the more I've considered what works in helping kids develop positive traits of character, the more everything has seemed to revolve around a single key ingredient-personal responsibility. What follows may not be the only way to be a person. But it's the best way I know. Confronting Hopelessness Go to Table of Contents .