The Art Of Raising a Child
Many parents believe that a child comes into this world as a "tabula rasa", a blank slate. They think it is their task to mold the child in order to make him or her into a decent human being. If it wasn't for them controlling their child's behavior, likes, dislikes, appetite and sleeping pattern, they fear, the kid would turn into an anti-social, sleep-deprived, and under-nourished beast. When little Andy wants to play with his toys by himself, a strong voice of reason needs to inform him that a good boy shares with Cousin Kurt. And, if he doesn't do so voluntarily, the toy is taken away from him. This teaches him that sharing is good. When Baby Tina refuses to eat her spinach, she is not to leave the dinner table until her plate is squeaky clean. She now understands that iron is vital for her body. When the little ones are running and screaming in the hallway, they are told to "walk slowly and play quietly". Suddenly, we have created well-mannered, soft-spoken, and gracefully striding creatures. Have we really? Or are we creating the opposite of what we intended? The most important rules of parenting are often unknown, or overlooked: 1. Respect Your Child. Treat your child the way you want to
5. Let Your Child Eat as She Desires. She won't starve herself to death. Each one of us has a strong urge to survive. We will eat when our bodies tell us to. Forcing a child to finish the plate or eat her vegetables, will, with most certainty, constitute the precursor to a serious eating disorder. Similarly, a child also knows when it is time to use the bathroom. 4. Let Your Child Experience the World Freely. It is part of the child's developmental process to run, scream, laugh, grab, and pull. It is your duty to make sure that the environment is safe for the child to do so. Remove sharp corners and access to knives, scissors etc. If Billy Bob bangs his head into the edge of your glass table, don't fault him for running too fast. You should have installed rubber protectors as a precaution. A healthy child will run and jump and climb. Try to stop him and you take away a piece of his life. You also sow the seed for rebellion. The child arrives on this planet as a social being. Validate and reinforce. Do not try to mold her as you will break her. She already has more values than you think. And, most importantly: Respect Your Child! 6. Lead by Example. No rule, morale, or stipulation can replace the example set by parents. If Daddy doesn't treat
Some common words found in the essay are:
Danny Mommy, Raising Child, Baby Tina, Child's Contributions, Billy Bob, Eat Desires, World Freely, Child Treat, Own Tammy, Lead Example, contribute value, respect child,
Approximate Word count = 847
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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