THE TEMPER TANTRUM

From TODAY, Voices
Thursday October 30, 2008

By Dr James Dobson

Everyone who has raised a toddler has probably been confronted at some point by a full-blown temper tantrum. Usually, a firm hand will discourage such violent behaviour, but sometimes not.

I knew one family that had a three-year-old boy who was still throwing the most terrible fits when he didn’t get his way. He would fall on the floor, kick, scream and cry. His parents had done everything they knew to stop him, with no success.

One night, as they were each reading a newspaper, the child demanded that they do something. They didn’t move quickly enough, so he went into his violent contortion. Out of exasperation, since they didn’t know what else to do, they didn’t do anything. They just went on reading.

The child, shocked by their unresponsiveness, got up and went over to his mother. He shook her arm and fell on the floor screaming again. Still, neither parent reacted. He then approached his father and hit the newspaper before going into another tirade. By this point, both mum and dad were secretly watching to see what would happen, but they remained passive. This child felt so foolish throwing temper tantrums with no audience, that he never threw another one.

The next time your toddler goes a little crazy, try doing nothing. It worked in at least one case with which I am quite familiar.

PUTTING OTHERS FIRST

From TODAY, Voices
Wednesday October 29, 2008

By Dr James Dobson

What do you get for the child who has everything? That’s a question Mr Richard Crane faced every year on his son’s birthday. So one year, he just decided to ask him.

The Crane family lived in a castle high on a hill beside a stretch of beach along the Atlantic Ocean. Across the sea lay the small town of Ipswich, Massachusetts, a city of 7,000 people living in stark contrast to the kind of life the Cranes enjoyed.

When Richard asked his son, Cornelius, what he would like to have, the boy answered: “I’d like to invite all the children of Ipswich to a party on our beach.”

It was a big request, but an unselfish one, so Richard granted it. Over 1,000 children spent the day on the Cranes’ beach, playing games and filling up on sandwiches and ice cream.

The event became an annual tradition in Ipswich. Today, over 60 years later, the town comes together each year to celebrate Cornelius’ birthday on June 16. And it all began with a simple, selfless request from a young boy who wanted to share his good fortune with others.

You know, it’s not that difficult to make an impact on your world. All you really have to do is to put the needs of others ahead of your own. You may not have the resources the Crane family had, but you can still make a difference with a little time and a big heart.

WILLIS B DOBSON

From TODAY, Voices
Tuesday October 28, 2008

By Dr James Dobson

I want to pay tribute today to a good man — who happened to be my uncle — Dr Willis B Dobson.

He earned his PhD in Shakespearean English at the University of Texas and served for more than 40 years as a humble professor at a small college.

He worked for peanuts compared to what he could have earned at a national university, but there was something more important to him than money.

Shortly after he retired, his beloved wife Naomi succumbed to cancer, and we expected him to wither and die without her.

Instead, he simply re-dedicated his life to the service of others.

At 70 years of age, he began a taxi service for what he called “old people.”

He set up a refreshment stand for the trash collectors in front of his house, serving hot chocolate in the winter and cold Cokes in the summer.

A few years later, Dr Willis B Dobson died early one Sunday morning.

He never received great acclaim or notoriety for his selfless commitment to others, but he was certainly a hero and a role model to me.