Have you watched the news reports on the elections in various countries? In general, a large voter turnout denotes a responsible and mature population. Each drop counts to make an ocean. Every child of today can probably make wonders in the world of tomorrow. What is our role in this period of evolution? Tremendous, in fact!
We need to start early –really soon, even before the baby could start to speak, can you believe that? All of us adore our little babies, true, but we tend to translate our love into baby talk. Commonly used words are affectionately replaced by meaningless blabbering. Though this evokes giggles, fun and laughter in the beginning, it is important that we stop this baby talk for two reasons:
- We are limiting the child’s growing vocabulary.
- We are limiting the child’s socializing abilities as he understands only the close family’s way of communicating.
A little later, when the baby is able to move about inside the house, most of us place precious objects out of his reach. We feel that both (the baby and the breakable object) are safe. Instead, we could talk to the baby that such things should be handled in a safe manner and we could help him keep them away. This way,
- We are building trust in him.
- We are stopping his urge to reach the object, experiment or destroy it.
Feeding the child is a challenge at every meal. Some of us take the shortest route to finish off this tough task:
- We frighten the child ( “I’ll call the Police”, “The ghost will catch you”,” I won’t take you off from the top of the fridge.”)
- We say lies or bribe him ( “When you finish this cup of milk, you will be as tall as I am”, “If you finish eating, I will get you a chocolate bar.”)
Instead, we may tell him stories or engage him in joyful activities or play simple games to encourage him to eat. When WE don’t cheat, the child would trust us. Trust begets the sense of responsibility.
As the child grows up, several traps lay before him: television, video games, junk food, bad company, Internet… We cannot be his watchdog at every moment. Nor can we afford to lose sleep over his growing years and end up feeling guilty about the miscalculated upbringing. I suggest a few simple tips:
- Be available for your child ALWAYS and don’t ignore him just because he is a kid.
- Ask for his opinion in simple matters.( For example — ‘does the soup taste good?’ ‘Do your new shoes hurt?’, ‘Shall we eat the dinner after watching the ‘Zoo’ program on the TV?’) Respect his reasonable feelings, especially his sense of security.
- Most important — whenever you speak to him, meet his eyes.
A few years from now, the bonding bridge that you have painstakingly built will become a landmark in your family and the society at large. Your young one’s maturity is the mark of a well-balanced adult: Thanks to your efforts.