Way of The Seekers — Page 53
53 THE possible. 7. As the child grows, it should be asked to do small tasks under the guise of play-acting. It should be asked to fetch a utensil, to replace or carry an object and do sundry other small tasks. But it should also have the time to play on its own. 8. A child should be allowed to acquire self-confidence as a matter of habit. For instance, if it wants to have an object which it has just seen, it should be told that it would get it at a certain time. Hiding the object is no solution, for it will imitate and try to hide things which will breed the habit of stealing. 9. A child should not be over-indulged. Too much petting or caressing leads to many vices. when such a child sits in society, it expect to be fondled. This results in a number of moral evils. 10 Parents should be capable of self-sacrifice. Foods which are prohibited for an ailing child should neither be brought into the house nor should they be eaten by the parents. The child should be told that they are abstaining on his account. The child will thus learn the habit of self-sacrifice. 11 Extreme vigilance is required when a child is suffering from a chronic illness. Vices like cowardice, selfishness, peevishness, lack of emotional control, etc. , are the result of illness. Even grown-ups become irritable during illness. Some ask others to sit with them. Others shout at passers- by and say: Can you not see? Are you blind? In illness, the patient is allowed complete rest and full comfort which he slowly comes to regard as a right and wants to rest all the time. 12 Children should not be told tales of horror. This would make them cowards. when they grow up, they would do nothing brave. If a child exhibits a tendency towards cowardice, it should be told stories of courage and made to