BRING UP A CHILD (Part 1)
27 January 2006
This is a subjective personal review of the above task. Maybe an interim report card. Sometimes, the process of putting thoughts to paper makes it easier to rationalize. It allows us to reflect and reevaluate and hopefully some of the more muddled pictures will become clearer in perspective.
Providing food, shelter and other material needs to your only child is the easy part. That is basically the job description of parenting for the first 5 years. The subsequent 20 years is the complicated part because there is no manual or text book to provide a systematic guide.
Bring up a child is not like growing a plant in a green house. Too many factors come into the mix. Family, friends, school, teachers, peer groups, society, the political scenario, environment, etc. You worry how the recipe is going to turn out!
The goal or ultimate product we hope to create is the same for most parents. A responsible, independent, well adjusted and educated adult that we can be proud of.
So the issue is very much how do we get there? What are the priorities? How do we strike a balance between study and play. Between obedience and free spiritedness. Between being an angel and being street wise. When the need arise what kind of disciplinary actions are effective? Would persuation and reasons suffice? How to punish bad behaviour without the repercussion of resentment and leaving mental scars on the child?
This is a subjective personal review of the above task. Maybe an interim report card. Sometimes, the process of putting thoughts to paper makes it easier to rationalize. It allows us to reflect and reevaluate and hopefully some of the more muddled pictures will become clearer in perspective.
Providing food, shelter and other material needs to your only child is the easy part. That is basically the job description of parenting for the first 5 years. The subsequent 20 years is the complicated part because there is no manual or text book to provide a systematic guide.
Bring up a child is not like growing a plant in a green house. Too many factors come into the mix. Family, friends, school, teachers, peer groups, society, the political scenario, environment, etc. You worry how the recipe is going to turn out!
The goal or ultimate product we hope to create is the same for most parents. A responsible, independent, well adjusted and educated adult that we can be proud of.
So the issue is very much how do we get there? What are the priorities? How do we strike a balance between study and play. Between obedience and free spiritedness. Between being an angel and being street wise. When the need arise what kind of disciplinary actions are effective? Would persuation and reasons suffice? How to punish bad behaviour without the repercussion of resentment and leaving mental scars on the child?
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