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Regular work+family updates for
HR and diversity professionals.
Litterbugs are the enemy
I'm obsessed with trying to stop people littering. Whenever I see someone casually throwing their rubbish around, I literally cannot resist remonstrating with them. I've developed my own technique to avoid being thumped. As yet it seems to have worked, or at least no-one's punched me so far as I try to illustrate the error of their ways.
Where do I get it from? Well that's easy. My dad is a 75 year anti-litter fanatic, although recently I think he's taken it too far. Spending his new found annuity money on his own anti-litter video is ridiculous. Hilarious, but ridiculous.
(Actually, it really is hilarious - despite the late appearance of 'Patch' the wonder dog and a muck-spreader!)
Passing on values and opinions
The problem I have is that imposing your own values and opinions on your children isn't always healthy. Good parents probably have children who grow up capable of choosing their own individual path through life.
Politics, sporting preferences, etiquette, my wayward American cousins, my ex-wife's extensive wardrobe - all things I feel very strongly about. And, if I'm not careful, things my children might feel strongly about as well.
I may not always be right
I'm humble enough to realise I'm not always right. Equally, I'm arrogant enough to think people want to know my views. Teaching my kids to question everything I tell them is probably long-term brilliant parenting.
In the short-term, though, I've managed to turn my home into a state of permanent rebellion. Painful, to say the least!
Ben Black
