IfachildliveswithhostilityHelearnstofight,IfachildliveswithridiculeHelearnstobeshy,IfachildliveswithshameHelearnstofeelguilty,IfachildliveswithtoleranceHelearnstobepatient,IfachildliveswithencouragementHelearnsconfidence,IfachildliveswithpraiseHelearnstoappreciate,IfachildliveswithfairnessHelearnsjustice,IfachildliveswithsecurityHelearnstohavefaith,IfachildliveswithapprovalHelearnstolikehimself,IfachildliveswithacceptanceandfriendshipHelearnstofindloveintheworld.Childrendonotlearnthroughwhatparentspreachbutchildrenlearnthroughtheactionoftheirparents.Therefore,parentsmustbeverycarefulaboutwhattheydototheirchildrenandhowtheybehaveinfrontofthem.Now,letusanalysethepoem‘ChildrenLearnWhatTheyLive’whichiswrittenby-DorothyNolte.InthisarticleIfaChildLiveswithCriticismHeLearnstoCondemnIfaChildLiveswithHostilityHeLearnstoFightIfaChildLiveswithRidiculeHeLearnstobeShyIfaChildLiveswithShameHeLearnstoFeelGuiltyIfaChildLiveswithToleranceHeLearnstobePatientIfaChildLiveswithEncouragementHeLearnsConfidenceIfaChildLiveswithPraiseHeLearnstoAppreciateIfaChildLiveswithFairnessHeLearnsJusticeIfaChildLiveswithSecurityHeLearnstoHaveFaithIfaChildLiveswithApprovalHeLearnstoLikeHimselfIfaChildLiveswithAcceptanceandFriendshipHeLearnstoFindLoveintheWorldIfaChildLiveswithCriticismHeLearnstoCondemnCriticismcanhaveaverybadeffectonthegrowth,developmentandthinkingofchildren.Parentscannotevenimaginehowbaditseffectscouldbe.Itaffectstheiroverallpersonality.Aschildrenabsorbeverythingthattheyaretoldduringtheearlychildhoodyearsveryeasily,thecriticismmayseepdeepinsidethem.Whattheyhearinformofcriticismmaybecometheiractualpersonalityandsurelywillcomeoutinformofcondemnationfromthem.IfaChildLiveswithHostilityHeLearnstoFightLovingandcaringatmosphereiswhatchildrenneedtogrow-upintowell-balancedindividuals.Iftheyaresurroundedwithhostility,theymaynotbeabletodevelopthequalitieslikeempathy,friendlinessandcaringattitude.Hostilitywillmakechildrenaggressiveandtheywilllearntofightwithoutthinkingwhatisrightandwhatiswrong.IfaChildLiveswithRidiculeHeLearnstobeShyIfchildrenareconstantlysubjectedtoridiculetheirself-esteemandconfidenceiscrushed.Lackofself-esteemandconfidencewillgiverisetoshynessinthem.Ifchildrenbecomeshyandintrovert,theymayfacealotofdifficultieswhilewalkingthepathofsuccessinlife.IfaChildLiveswithShameHeLearnstoFeelGuiltyChildrenareinnocent;theydonotknowthedifferencebetweentherightandwrong.Duetoconstantshamingtheywilldevelopaguiltwhichwillneverletthemlivepeacefully.Guiltmayberesponsibleforstressandtensioninthemwhichmayalsoaffecttheirhealth.IfaChildLiveswithToleranceHeLearnstobePatientPatienceisveryimportanttraitwhicheveryparentmustdevelopintheirchildren.Itispossibletofosterpatienceinchildrenonlyifparentsshowtolerance.Itdoesnotmeanthatgiving-intotheirunreasonabledemands.Itmeansthatparentsshouldnotgethyperwhenchildrenmakeanymistakeorbehavebadly.Theymustprovidethemrightguidancebybeingcalmandshowingtolerance.IfaChildLiveswithEncouragementHeLearnsConfidenceEncouragementfromparentsisveryimportantforchildrentosucceedinlife.Parentscanplayanimportantroleinencouragingchildrenandboostingtheirconfidence.IfaChildLiveswithPraiseHeLearnstoAppreciatePraisingchildrenforrightthingsandatrighttimecanhelpthemlearntoappreciatethegooddeedsandhardworkofothers.Iftheyarepraisedforgoodbehaviourortheirhardworktheywillrepeatthesamebehaviourforearningyourpraise.IfaChildLiveswithFairnessHeLearnsJusticeIfyoupracticefairnesswithyourchildandifyouteachyourchildtobefair,hewillneverbeunjusttoothersthroughouthislife.IfaChildLiveswithSecurityHeLearnstoHaveFaithWhenyoualwaysstandbyyourchild,hewilldevelopasenseofsecurity.Infuturewhenhehastotakeanyimportantdecisionorifheisindistresshewillsurelyhavefaithinyou.Hewillhavefaiththatyouhavesolutionstoallhisproblems.IfaChildLiveswithApprovalHeLearnstoLikeHimselfLetyourchildfollowhisdreams.Donotburdenhimwithyourexpectations.Neverforcehimtodosomethinginlifetosatisfyyourownego.Onlythenyourchildcanlivehislifetothefullestandlearntolikehimself.IfaChildLiveswithAcceptanceandFriendshipHeLearnstoFindLoveintheWorldShoweryourunconditionalloveonyourchild.Bethereforhimalways.Celebratehiseverylittleachievement.Teachgoodvaluestohimandaccepthimforhoweverheis.Donotcomparehimwithotherchildren.Lethimgrowinyourloveandcare.Theabovepoemclearlyadvocatestheproverb“Aswesow,soshallwereap”.Ifwesowgoodnessinourchildren,theywillonlychurn-outgoodness.
If a child lives with hostility
He learns to fight,If a child lives with ridicule
He learns to be shy,If a child lives with shame
He learns to feel guilty,If a child lives with tolerance
He learns to be patient,If a child lives with encouragement
He learns confidence,If a child lives with praise
He learns to appreciate,If a child lives with fairness
He learns justice,If a child lives with security
He learns to have faith,If a child lives with approval
He learns to like himself,If a child lives with acceptance and friendship
He learns to find love in the world. Children do not learn through what parents preach but children learn through the action of their parents. Therefore, parents must be very careful about what they do to their children and how they behave in front of them. Now, let us analyse the poem ‘Children Learn What They Live’ which is written by - Dorothy Nolte.
If a Child Lives with Criticism He Learns to Condemn
Criticism can have a very bad effect on the
growth, development and thinking of children. Parents cannot even imagine how bad its effects could be. It affects their overall personality. As children absorb everything that they are told during the early childhood years very easily, the criticism may seep deep inside them. What they hear in form of criticism may become their actual personality and surely will come out in form of condemnation from them.
If a Child Lives with Hostility He Learns to Fight
Loving and caring atmosphere is what children need to grow-up into well-balanced individuals. If they are surrounded with hostility, they may not be able to develop the qualities like empathy, friendliness and caring attitude. Hostility will make children aggressive and they will learn to fight without thinking what is right and what is wrong.
If a Child Lives with Ridicule He Learns to be Shy
If children are constantly subjected to ridicule their self-esteem and confidence is crushed. Lack of self-esteem and confidence will give rise to shyness in them. If children become shy and introvert, they may face a lot of difficulties while walking the path of success in life.
If a Child Lives with Shame He Learns to Feel Guilty
Children are innocent; they do not know the difference between the right and wrong. Due to constant shaming they will develop a guilt which will never let them live peacefully. Guilt may be responsible for stress and tension in them which may also affect their health.
If a Child Lives with Tolerance He Learns to be Patient
Patience is very important trait which every
parent must develop in their children. It is possible to foster patience in children only if parents show tolerance. It does not mean that giving-in to their unreasonable demands. It means that parents should not get hyper when children make any mistake or behave badly. They must provide them right guidance by being calm and showing tolerance.
If a Child Lives with Encouragement He Learns Confidence
Encouragement from parents is very important for children to succeed in life. Parents can play an important role in
encouraging children and boosting their confidence.
If a Child Lives with Praise He Learns to Appreciate
Praising children for right things and at right time can help them learn to appreciate the good deeds and hard work of others. If they are
praised for good behaviour or their hard work they will repeat the same behaviour for earning your praise.
If a Child Lives with Fairness He Learns Justice
If you practice fairness with your child and if you teach your child to be fair, he will never be unjust to others throughout his life.
If a Child Lives with Security He Learns to Have Faith
When you always standby your child, he will develop a sense of security. In future when he has to take any important decision or if he is in distress he will surely have faith in you. He will have faith that you have solutions to all his problems.
If a Child Lives with Approval He Learns to Like Himself
Let your child follow his dreams. Do not burden him with your expectations. Never force him to do something in life to satisfy your own ego. Only then your child can live his life to the fullest and learn to like himself.
If a Child Lives with Acceptance and Friendship He Learns to Find Love in the World
Shower your unconditional love on your child. Be there for him always. Celebrate his every little achievement. Teach good values to him and accept him for however he is. Do not compare him with other children. Let him grow in your love and care.
The above poem clearly advocates the proverb “As we sow, so shall we reap”. If we sow goodness in our children, they will only churn-out goodness.
