Cultivating Elites: National Parenting School Model Textbook (Golden Edition)

Author: Du Xiaoyi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: Not available
Features:
1. Responsibility is an important part of personality and a very important quality, necessary for becoming an excellent person. Taking initiative in responsibility means being willing to do more for others or the collective, willing to take more risks, and willing to pay the potential consequences that follow. After China joined the WTO, the chief negotiator Long Yongtu shared a touching story in the "Speak the Truth" program. During a visit to Switzerland, he heard a peculiar sound coming from a neighboring stall in a restroom. Intrigued by the prolonged and unusual noise, he peered through the gap in the door. To his astonishment, he found a boy of about seven or eight years old repairing the flush mechanism of the toilet. Upon inquiry, he learned that the boy had finished using the restroom but couldn’t flush the toilet because the mechanism was malfunctioning. So, he was sitting there alone, desperately trying to fix it. At that moment, neither his parents nor his teacher was nearby. This incident deeply moved Long Yongtu. A boy of only seven or eight years old could be so courageous in taking initiative in responsibility. It can be said that this spirit of responsibility has permeated every cell and nerve in him, becoming a complete habit. Only when a person realizes the need to take initiative in responsibility does his noble character begin to form, and he becomes truly human. Responsibility is a task that a person must strive to fulfill, and it should be valued regardless of its size.
2. To let a child grow up by taking responsibility, the first step is to teach them to do their own things. In real life, many children have grown accustomed to their parents acting as their caregivers. In studies, they have also become accustomed to parents being their crutches, reading with them and helping with homework. The result is that when they are away from their parents, they are helpless and even unable to take a single step. A 15-year-old middle school student said, "At home, my grandparents and parents do everything for me. I’ve never washed a single pair of socks or swept the floor since I was born. Sometimes, Dad scolds me for it, and I feel I should do more household chores, but I just don’t have the motivation. Plus, they always give in to me—I refuse to do something, and they won’t let me." In fact, this situation is somewhat common among middle school students today. Many children fail to think of taking initiative to do things they can manage to help their tired parents, and thus, they cannot develop a sense of responsibility. There was once a businessman who asked his child to jump from a high place, promising to catch him. But when the child actually jumped, he moved aside. The injured child cried and blamed his father. The businessman said earnestly, "I did this to let you know that in many times and situations, others are unreliable—even the closest ones to you. Because there are many things in the world that others want to help but cannot, or cannot help at all. You can only rely on yourself. To survive, you must strive and fight for yourself; to achieve your life goals, you must first rely on yourself." Children will one day have to stand on their own in society and life. If they develop the habit of doing their own things, managing their own things, and arranging their own lives from a young age, it will enhance their independence, purposefulness, and planning in action. This will greatly benefit their happiness and success in life later on. P26-27