Basic HTML Version
by
Roderick C. Meredith
Modern society has lost the way to bring
up children. Here's what our readers need
to know about child rearing.
Y
ou
HAVE
seen it- a you ng mother
wrestling with her young children,
emotionally exhausted and on the point
of tears.
She tried to be nice to the children and reason
with them. She even tried to bribe them with
candy and other goodies
if
they would only "be
good."
But they seemed to delight in throwing tantrums
and embarrassing their mother in public.
Except for an occasional rebuke or a slap, their
father had virtually nothing to do with the children.
He was too tied up in his career.
So what should parents do to rear a decent, happy,
balanced family?
A Plan ls Needed
Part of that mother's problem was the fact that
she- along with millions of other parents-had no
definite
plan
or program in mind in rearing her
family. She herself was the product of a broken
home, and had not experienced or been taught how to
rear children . Sure, she had read an article here and
there in various magazines written by various sociol-
June
1983
ogists and other cxperts. However, mixed-up as she
was, she realized that these expcrts often disagreed
with one another- and sorne of them didn't even have
children of their own!
Again,
what to do?
First, every parent needs a definite plan or program of
how torear children, how to build the family and how to
get one's mate and even other relatives to help.
Then, you need to stick to your program. Modify
and improve itas you go along. But follow it and build
a family of which you can be truly proud.
As a father of healthy, happy children- three of
them now grown and married- and one granddaugh–
ter, andas a teacher and counselor working with young
people for more than 30 years, 1 will set forth many of
the principies 1 have learned, not merely by reading
but by observing and doing.
Love, Affectlon, Encouragement
Years ago, the
Reader's Digest
had an unusually mov–
ing article entitled "The Awesome Power of Human
Love."
Tt
described how the medica! profession found
that little babies and sma11 children require affection ,
kisses, hugs and tenderness in order to grow and devel–
op at a normal rate.
Since then, many studies have been made and many
other articles written to confirm this fundamental
truth. The power of human !ove is
AWESOME.
Its effect
on people is as important as good food and clothing,
sunshine and fresh air are, all put together.
Babies and children
must
have constant affection
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