This English version was translated from the Chinese original with AI assistance. The Chinese text is authoritative.
Keep these 3 things in check, and your child can’t help but succeed!
Education has always been a timeless topic. Many parents believe education begins when the child starts school, and that when small, a child should have a carefree childhood.
In fact this is not so. As the old saying goes, “At three you can see the grown man; at seven you can see the old man.” Educating a child must begin early, and family education is extremely important for children.
Education is an essential experience of growing up that none of us can do without. From birth everyone goes through family education, learning and growing under the influence of mother and father. And family education is closely bound up with the whole society’s view of education.
“Raise a child to a hundred, and you worry for ninety-nine years.” From the moment a child is born, every parent frets endlessly over the child’s growth and education.
When the child is small, they worry he won’t grow tall or get enough nutrition; when he grows up, they worry he’ll be bullied out in the world.
As long as the child is at their side, parents can’t help meddling in everything, and in the end they get a thankless result for all their pains.
But in my view, keep these 3 things in check, and your child can’t help but succeed!
Keep the child’s desires in check
Nowadays everyone’s living conditions are much better, and parents have begun to satisfy their children’s every demand; as long as the child is happy, even spending a fortune is worth it.
Little do they know that it is precisely this way of thinking that makes children lose themselves in their ever-swelling desires and end up achieving nothing.
A very close friend of mine from university had a difficult and very dangerous delivery, taking a full 12 hours to give birth to her son. Because of this, she and her husband doted on the child, who could summon wind and rain at home — a real “little tyrant.”
When the child was 8, he took a liking to taekwondo and insisted my friend sign him up. At the time my friend was rather pleased, thinking her child had finally found a talent he was interested in, and immediately enrolled him in a taekwondo training class.
But the good times didn’t last. In less than a week, the child was clamoring not to go anymore, saying his back ached and his hands were swollen. Seeing the unhappy look on his face, my friend gave in to him.
A few days later, seeing the friends he played with learning street dance, he begged my friend to sign him up. Unexpectedly, during practice his moves were too violent, and he fell and broke his hand.
After resting for a few months, the child, who should have gone back to practice, instead took a fancy to drawing.
In the blink of an eye several years passed. Children of the same age each had their strengths and a skill to rely on, but my friend’s child was still picking and choosing…
Children’s desires are always many and varied, with no patience and no steadiness; this requires parents to control and manage them. If children are left to develop freely, in the end they will only lead mediocre lives.
Isn’t there a saying:
“What is easily obtained will never be cherished; what is won with great effort will always be held dear.”
“What is easily obtained will never be cherished; what is won with great effort will always be held dear.”
Keep the child’s mouth in check
Every parent has had this kind of trouble!
“Mom, I want to go home and watch TV!”
“Wait a moment, Mom has something to talk about with Auntie Zhang.”
“No, I want to go now, the show has already started.”
“Why are you so annoying? Can’t you be quiet for a while?”
“Mom, I want to go home and watch TV!”
“Wait a moment, Mom has something to talk about with Auntie Zhang.”
“No, I want to go now, the show has already started.”
“Why are you so annoying? Can’t you be quiet for a while?”
Especially when you are discussing something important with others, the child is always butting in or throwing a tantrum at your side, which is very impolite and spoils the atmosphere.
When I used to teach, just as I reached the climax of a point, there were always some children who wanted to take the topic off on a tangent; within a few minutes, the whole class would be stirred up by the child who spoke at will, completely derailing my train of thought.
It can be said that teachers dislike children who interrupt and disrupt the class, even if the child is a top student.
Children’s habits stay with them for a long time; if the habit of interrupting is not changed, it will be very bad for their future careers.
May I ask, what company boss would want an employee who loves to interrupt, wants to show off, and doesn’t know how to respect others?
Keep the child’s laziness in check
A person’s success is never accidental; it comes from being willing to work hard and to dig deep. Look at most children today, by contrast: lazy by nature, expert at eating, drinking and having fun — and this is truly terrifying!
Once my aunt suddenly called me to say she was traveling out of town and asked me to go over and cook breakfast, lunch and dinner for her grandson, so that the child wouldn’t keep ordering takeout, which is bad for his health. This wasn’t hard, so I agreed.
After hanging up I hurried over. As soon as I walked in, I saw socks thrown carelessly on the floor, takeout boxes giving off a sour smell, and a thin layer of dust on the floor.
My aunt had been away for only two days, and the child had already turned the house into a mess. He hadn’t cleaned, hadn’t even opened the curtains; in the dim light I could faintly make out the child playing games under the covers.
Once my aunt suddenly called me to say she was traveling out of town and asked me to go over and cook breakfast, lunch and dinner for her grandson, so that the child wouldn’t keep ordering takeout, which is bad for his health. This wasn’t hard, so I agreed.
After hanging up I hurried over. As soon as I walked in, I saw socks thrown carelessly on the floor, takeout boxes giving off a sour smell, and a thin layer of dust on the floor.
My aunt had been away for only two days, and the child had already turned the house into a mess. He hadn’t cleaned, hadn’t even opened the curtains; in the dim light I could faintly make out the child playing games under the covers.
I asked him why he didn’t open the curtains to play his games. And his answer was: too lazy!
I really feel that children today live in far better conditions than we did as children: someone takes them to and from places, someone packs their books for school, someone washes their clothes, someone makes their beds; they only need to open their mouths and someone will do anything for them — happy beyond words.
But is it really good for children to be so lazy? Can a child too lazy even to open the curtains open up a brilliant life for himself in the future?
Impossible. In a recent midterm exam, too lazy to think through the answers himself, he was caught cheating and given a serious warning by the school. And he is already in his third year of junior high; this penalty may follow him all his life!
So, parents, if you want your children to amount to something, you must get rid of laziness!
Parents always hope their sons will become dragons and their daughters phoenixes, and hope to raise their children to be talented.
But for a child to become talented is never achieved in one step; it requires accumulation over a long time. Smart people know how to break the whole into parts and accomplish their goals step by step.
To achieve the big goal of the child becoming talented, you can first set a small, achievable goal, such as having the child develop good habits.
The following good habits, which benefit a person for life, are ones your child must develop!
Early to bed, early to rise
High-quality sleep is vital to a child’s physical development.
Going to bed early and getting up early is not only very good for a child’s health; it also keeps the child full of energy all day, doing everything well in high spirits.
Exercise regularly
Running, football, basketball, skipping rope, gymnastics… these varied forms of exercise not only build the body and help children grow taller and stronger, but also enrich their lives and bring them a good mood all day long.
So be sure to have your child develop at least one exercise habit.
Read more, and read good books
Reading and fitness are the most valuable investments! Reading can broaden a child’s mind, widen his horizons, deepen his thinking and lengthen his vision; it lets a child understand reason, know right from wrong, and know how to conduct himself!
Having your child spend an hour reading every day is more effective than any other education.
It is worth noting that good books can make a child, and bad books can ruin a child.
There are always some bad books on the market that harm children’s physical and mental health; parents must guard the gate for their children and choose good books that suit them, that interest them and that benefit them!
Study first, play later
Everyone says one should balance work and rest, and of course there is nothing wrong with that. But be sure to have your child remember and firmly carry out the saying “study first, play later.”
An easy, comfortable life is built on a solid economic foundation; those who put entertainment first and work last will surely end up in a sorry state.
Unless you are immensely rich and confident that your child can live without want even without working, be sure to have your child develop the habit of studying first and playing later.
Education is a long-term process, and children at each stage face different problems.
As a parent, you must pay timely attention to changes in your child and adjust your methods of education in time, so that your child grows up under the right methods of education.
