We
have all seen the 2-year old pitch a fit to get his way. It is
absolutely crucial that the parent intentionally make this fit a
deliberate, high-profile issue seriously and somberly addressed and
the outcome without any question won by the parent. The parent must
dramatically “fly behemoth–like within the child’s radar.”
The world for a moment should come to an utter stop. If there is any
compromise, it must be in communicating that the parent loves the
child despite the required and essential punishment. The preferred
punishment will be a slap on the butt by the father. Only this
method (rather than a time-out, for example) makes it clear who is in
charge and applies sufficient pain to the child’s prideful ego to
imprint on the brain the consequences of insubordination (in fact,
making it clear that misbehavior is in fact insubordination). The
parent must see this unpleasant occasion as so important that it will
set the stage for years to come—as it truly will. Done properly,
this will change the little gray cells in the child permanently.
In
politics, we often see some voters eternally pitching fits no matter
what governmental authorities try to do. Government cannot get
anything right, not even if it asserted 2 + 2 = 4. In my book, what
is truly missing in many instances is that the chronically unhappy
adult when susceptible as a child missed having his little gray cells
fashioned as described above. This destines him to a life of anger
and resentment aroused by any authority and is permanently
irresolvable even should Eldorado authoritatively descend with
streets of gold into his living room.
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