I spend a great deal of time selling children on the notion that if they believe they can, they will and if they believe they can’t, they won’t . . . so give yourself the benefit of the doubt, I argue, and believe that you can do great things with your life, so that you will! I think many parents today could benefit from the same kind of encouragement.

My recent blog entry that cites the staggering number of young girls today infected with sexually transmitted diseases continues to occupy much of my thinking. I have followed for years now the various debates regarding how to help young people become responsible as they mature and develop physically and sexually. I have watched the point of view that advocates teaching children about the value of abstinence in sexual activity depicted as naive and unsuccessful. I have seen the impact of the AIDS scourge on this debate and most recently read the data describing the extent of sexually transmitted disease.

I have concluded that at the heart of much of this discussion is a question that is not often pointedly asked or answered. Can I as a parent influence the attitudes, values and behaviors of my child? I think that many parents have thrown in the towel and concluded that, in fact, their children’s behavior in this realm is largely outside of their sphere of influence. When stacked against the factors of music, television, cinema and the internet, to name just a few, such an attitude is understandable.

However, as I ran on the treadmill this morning and looked over at the mom sweating next to me who was also reading a book about some aspect about being a better parent, I am inspired to encourage my fellow parents again, that your child is waiting for you to assert yourself and clearly outline both in word and deed, how to live a winning and achieving life. I promise you that you will be thrilled with the outcomes. You see, I believe that parents have the capacity to provide leadership to their children in so many areas that many of us have given up. If you think you can, you can and you will. I think you can.

What do you think?