From TODAY, Voices
Wednesday, 18-March-2009
By Dr James Dobson
May I invite parents to transport themselves back into the world of the very young and relive the pressures that often exist there – where unconcealed aggression often lies just below the surface.
Life can be especially difficult for a child who is odd or different in some obvious way. Those who are overweight or excessively thin or those whose noses curve up or down or to one side; those whose skin is pimply or hair is too curly or straight, or one who has big feet or a crossed eye or protruding ears. A youngster can be physically perfect except for a single embarrassing feature, yet under a barrage of ridicule, he or she will worry about that one deficiency as though it were the only important thing in life.
Do you remember those days when you may have had to fight to defend your honour, even if it cost you your front teeth, where self-esteem teetered on the brink of disintegration with each failure or mistake? This aspect of childhood must be remembered if we hope to understand why some children would rather take 40 lashes than go to a new school or perform in front of their peers or wear something different. We can help our kids cope if we remember our own childhood experiences.
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