My son has always been interested in sports. At age three, he learned how to swim. Being small for his age added to the shock value for the neighbors, who nervously watched him walk right up to the edge of the community pool without mom in tow. They would call out to me to rescue him, but I'd say "No problem, he's a swimmer", as he dove into the deep end and swam across the pool. In contrast, kids who were twice his age were assigned to the steps of the shallow end while their parents, sunbathing on lawn chairs, called out warnings: "Do not move from those steps! You don't know how to swim, don't you dare get off those steps!".
Hm. I don't think I'd like someone yelling at me that I should not attempt to do something, and announcing in front of the world that I will fail if I try.
I learned to parent from reading the book Child Dianetics, by L. Ron Hubbard. It sure simplified the process. In it is a key essay called
"How to Live With Children." I don't know how I would have managed without it. My son, now 16, has been coaching Flag Football for the last several years. When he was 14, he got together a group of younger kids and formed them into a team, then submitted the team to a league called I-9 Sports. He and his 13 year old friend coached the team to victory in an undefeated season. They were the champions of the entire league, encompassing many cities- and the first and only teenage coaches.
Having a winning child who is turning into a responsible young adult is one of my biggest joys. I couldn't have accomplished this without using Child Dianetics. There are so many gems in this book, but here is my favorite quote:
"The main problem with children is how to live with them. The adult is the problem in child raising, not the child. A good, stable adult with love and tolerance in his heart is about the best therapy a child can have." L. Ron Hubbard
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