Way to Happiness Precept #4

Love and Help Children is Precept #4 of the Way to Happiness book.
This book says:

"Today's children will become tomorrow's civilization. Bringing a child into the world today is a little bit like dropping one into a tiger's Cage. Children can't handle their environment* and they have no real resources. They need love and help to make it.

"It is a delicate problem to discuss. There are almost as many theories on how to raise a child or not raise them as there are parents. Yet if one does it wrong much grief can result and one may even complicate his or her own later years. Some try to raise children the way they were themselves raised, others attempt the exact opposite, many hold to an idea that children should just be let grow on their own. None of these guarantee success..."

"A child is a little bit like a blank slate. If you write the wrong things on it, it will say the wrong things. But, unlike a slate, a child can begin to do the writing: the child tends to write what has been written already. The problem is complicated by the fact that. while most children are capable of great decency, a few are born insane and, today, some are even born drug addicts: but such cases are an unusual few..."

"One has to make up his mind what he is trying to get the child to become: this is modified by several things: (a) what the child basically can become due to inherent make-up and potential; (b) what the child really wants to become; (c) what one wants the child to become; (d) the resources available. But remember that whatever these all add up to, the child will not survive well unless he or she eventually becomes self reliant and very moral. Otherwise the end product is likely to be a liability to everyone including the child..."

"A child factually does not do well without love. Most children have an abundance of it to return.

"The way to happiness has on its route the loving and the helping of children from babyhood to the brink of adult life"

* Environment means "One's surroundings; the material things around one."

There are other comments and helpful ideas on how to raise children in the Way to Happiness book. Check it out and see for yourself what Mr. Hubbard has to say about raising children. I know that I was raised with my parents using the principles in this book and I turned out pretty darn good (if I do say so myself) - so check it out and see what you can learn from this super cool book.