Spirited! Yes, this is the best word I would use to describe what was just concluded meet-the-parents session held at our local community. On reflection, I think below are 3 principles which has shaped my personal conviction and philosophy how parenting should be founded on, namely:
1. Scriptural Basis: Proverbs 22:6 says " Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Amen!
2. Civility Basis/Code of Conduct: Recommend George Washington's "Rules of Civility". This is a set of 100+ maxims he copied by hand, word for word, as a 16 yr old lad from the book "Rules of Civility & Decent Behavior In Company and Conversation". Hence, all throughout his military campaigns, diplomatic ventures and presidential politics, he demonstrated the civility, bearing and manners befitting a leader. And most of the rules are concerned with details of etiquette, offering pointers on such issues as how to dress, walk, eat in public and address one's superiors. The rules likewise address moral issues, but they address them indirectly," according to one writer. They seek to form the inner man by chiseling the outer. I think this is a great supplement to scripture.
3. Historical Basis: lets face it, the way our parents treated us when we ourselves were young shaped our way of thinking, filter and view of the world. We are what we are now largely in part because of how our parents corrected, rebuked and disciplined us. It is the same set of invisible voices and pattens we consciously or unconsciously conduct ourselves in front of our kids. Of course, one could argue that he/she is not treated well by his/her parents. And therefore his/her way of 'disciplining' the kids are the same.
Lastly, people who are relatively 'successful' as adults would probably have relatively 'successful' parents. The success word used is in the context of developing working habits, exercising values and principles, learned from generations past.
Thoughts please?
No comments:
Post a Comment