Why Does Paper Beat Rock?

I have watched my kids play rock, paper, scissors a million and one times to solve complex problems such as whose turn it is to watch t.v. or who gets a shower first, you know the real gritty issues that grip our household. Of course I played it as a kid too, I mean who didn't? We all know the age old rules...scissors beats paper, rock beats scissors, and paper beats rock. It wasn't until recently that I really questioned this age old game and asked how in the heck does paper beat rock? Then a light bulb went off in my head and somehow I took away this great philosophical meaning, being the great philosophical thinker that I am...okay not really but I just like using the word philosophical.

Anyway, we all know that in the game, paper covers rock to win, and as I thought about it kids are much like rocks and parents are similar to paper.  If you have children, you know that they are born with their individual personalities and it often starts to shine through when they are just tiny infants. There is no changing your child's personality, if you have a rebel on your hands, more than likely that is who they are going to be. It's hard to break rocks, so why waste your energy trying to break the rock, remember you are paper; just cover it! What I mean by this is, as paper you can cover your child as he/she rolls along; no you can't stop the rock but the rock can never shake you off. Your child will make mistakes, bad decisions, and do things that will make you cringe. However, as parents we have to hang on to that rock, and grip it as hard as we can through the entire ride; the ups, downs, and  in between. Never let your child think that you have given up on them or you're not proud of them. Even if they aren't going in the direction that you think they should go; do not give up. That rock is going to go in all types of directions as it rolls along. It will go up peaks, down valleys, and back again trying to find its place among the other rocks. Just hang on paper, and when you feel like quitting, just remember that age old game; paper beats rock every time.