TV’s Judge Hatchett Lists Parenting Advice And I Actually Agree
It’s not secret that for the most part I have TV judges. HATE them (I’m looking at you, “Judge” Judy). So when I read that Judge Glenda Hatchett from the TV show “Judge Hatchett,” (and former Georgia juvenile court judge) had given a motivational speech with advice for parents, I rolled my eyes and expected the worst. Boy was I wrong.
The speech, given at Central High School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, wasn’t the self-righteous diatribe I had expected (largely in part to the haughty attitude I expect from television “judges” like Judy Sheindlin), Hachett’s speech was well smart, kind and filled with common sense advice that I think every parent could stand to hear. According to Hatchett:
”I tell parents all the time that if they [children] didn’t need parents, then they would have been born grown. They need us to parent them. We are to provide the guidance.”
Hatchett went on to discuss what she calls the three “C”s of parenting – concern, consistency and cheering for your kids.” For concern, she challenged parents to go home and write a note to their kid’s teachers vowing to partner with them to enable their kids to achieve greatness. I think this is solid advice for parents of kids of any age. Being involved is vital for a kid’s success, and the first step in that should be having an open and honest relationship with his or her teacher.
Hatchett also advises parents to keep up with their kid’s health, have active conversations with them daily and know who they hang out with – again, all solid advice. When discussing consistence Hachett stressed the importance of sticking to the rules and not backing down all the time:
”That is one of the biggest problems I have with parents in my courtroom, not being consistent. No means no … My parents didn’t have any problem saying no. It was a complete sentence. It didn’t need any prepositions, any adverbs, nothing ”” just no with an exclamation point.”
Preach! Hachett stressed how vital it is to not only make rules, but make the same rules and expectations for all of your kids (barring disabilities and such, I’m sure), especially for both girls and boys (YES) and expressed admiration for parents with the gumption to say no when every other parent says yes. As a mom who typically errs on the side of “NO!” when I’m unsure about a situation, this was especially moving to me.
Her final “C” was her favorite and mine, being a cheerleader for your kids. I think being there for your children and giving them positive reinforcement (as well as discipline, because it doesn’t have to be one or the other) is so important. So kudo to your Judge Hatchett. I still hate judge shows, but I still like your style.
