Obedience or Respect – which would you prefer?

In the old days, children were seen as wicked or rebellious for disobeying. It is important to point out that the exercise of will is a rather precious gift. It is easy for adults to break a child’s will and have him obey. But how much more satisfying to have a child choose to follow instructions out of respect for the person giving them. Before the age of three, a child has not mastered his conscious actions and often, he is incapable of responding to the request. He is purely not ready yet. He is not disobeying out of rebellion but rather out of a lack of ability to control his actions. Sometimes, he may perform the task one day only to fail the next. He is still practicing. From the age of three onwards, he becomes more in control of himself and upon explanations, will take in the reasonings. Even though we sometimes feel like we are repeating the same thing over and over again… When the response does take place from a point of consciousness, it is far more satisfying and coherent, and respectful of you.

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

E-mail (will not be published) (required)

Website