January 31, 2025 HAVE FUN PARENTING!
"Your children will reap what you sow."- Virgil
Listen to this meditation on audio:
Some years ago, I was of the opinion that anyone who could properly raise a puppy, should be able to raise a child. While that was definitely an oversimplification of the process, there were some points that were absolutely correct. I maintained that raising a puppy involved three primary things 1) clearly understanding what was OK and what was not OK for the puppy to do. 2) clearly teaching what was to be done and not done, and 3) being consistent in requiring adherence to those instructions. While I still believe that those three are the cornerstones to raising a child, they don't leave enough flexibility to accommodate the increasing rational thinking of a human child. We as parents have to be flexible enough to accommodate and encourage our child's natural curiosity as they begin to explore their world. Unlike the puppy, our child, with its limitless capacity for intellectual growth, must be allowed and indeed encouraged to explore and learn about its expanding environment. We as parents should find joy and even ecstasy in the exploits of our child as they exercise insatiable curiosity about this New World they are discovering. While it is our duty to keep them safe, we are also charged with the responsibility for helping them enlarge the view of their world. If we will let it, we too can be swept away by the wonder in a child's eyes as they ponder the beauty of a flower or the oddity of a pebble they find on the sidewalk. Parenting should be a magical adventure that sweeps both parent and child into a fantasy world of wonder and discovery. The joy of parenting should be nothing less than phenomenal! Having the right attitude toward being a parent is the key to enjoying it as it should be enjoyed. A CHANGE OF ATTITUDE WILL MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE!
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