When you teach your children that certain things are good, they are likely to call all different things bad. If you teach them that certain things are beautiful, they may see other things as ugly. Call Difficult things "difficult" and easy things "easy" without avoiding one and seeking the other and your children will learn self confidence. Call results "results" without labeling one as success and another as failure and your children will learn freedom of fear. Call birth "birth" and death "death" without seeing one as good and the other as evil and your children will be at home with life.
Authors Note: Notice today how your children label things "This stinks" "thats stupid." Dont stop them, just notice and consider how they learned. Start today to teach a different lesson.
Katie's Interpretation: When labels are coupled with judgement, we plant a preconceived notion in our children's mind, which may begin the cycle of judgement and assumption. Its seems very natural to want to describe in full detail to our kids, our experiences but this may be interpreted in the childs mind very differently. If your child has found himself stuck in a rut, lead by example for the most effective behavior modification.
In an attempt to find peace and wisdom in parenting, I am typing up a chapter each week of the Parents Tao Te Ching. My goal is to interpret the 81 philosophical chapters in order to fully realize its message and the advice given by the author. Feel free to leave your interpretation of a message that particularly strikes you.
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