Child Neglect: Are you Guilty of Neglecting Your Child?
Neglect is defined in the dictionary as disregard. It is synomous with disrespect, despise, unconcern and indifference. If I asked any parent if they neglect or despise their child, their immediate response would be a shocked "NO!".
If you do stop to think about it though you will realize that grownups do tend to neglect and undervalue children. One way that parents undervalue their children is by not taking the child's offenses or bad behavior seriously. So, for example, if your child starts throwing a fit you start to ignore it and hope that he will outgrow this phase. Or if your daughter lies constantly you figure her imagination is overactive and as she grows up it will stop.
Leaving such behaviour without immediate response will cause them to become habits. Those habits will then, eventually, become a part of the child's personality. If that is not considered child neglect then what is! This kind of parental response to bad behaviour is only one of the many stumbling blocks that parents put in their child's way. Examples of other obstacles that well-meaning parents might place in their child's path are lack of proper education, lack of proper phyiscal care and lack of teaching the child independence.
We are very careful to pick up any obstacles or toys that might come in the way of a crawling baby. The parent makes sure all is clear and that nothing will cause the baby to stumble and have an accident as he explores his surroundings. So what about the child entering into a new world of obstacles. Is it fair to allow him to fall? Doesn't the child have the equal right to have his parents remove the obstacles in his way as does the baby? Think about it, are you guilty of child neglect? If so, then rest assured that so are millions of other well-meaning parents. The point is to immediately stop neglecting your child and take action to remove any obstacles in your child's way today!
Here are some tips to end child neglect and start valuing your child:
If you do stop to think about it though you will realize that grownups do tend to neglect and undervalue children. One way that parents undervalue their children is by not taking the child's offenses or bad behavior seriously. So, for example, if your child starts throwing a fit you start to ignore it and hope that he will outgrow this phase. Or if your daughter lies constantly you figure her imagination is overactive and as she grows up it will stop.
Leaving such behaviour without immediate response will cause them to become habits. Those habits will then, eventually, become a part of the child's personality. If that is not considered child neglect then what is! This kind of parental response to bad behaviour is only one of the many stumbling blocks that parents put in their child's way. Examples of other obstacles that well-meaning parents might place in their child's path are lack of proper education, lack of proper phyiscal care and lack of teaching the child independence.
We are very careful to pick up any obstacles or toys that might come in the way of a crawling baby. The parent makes sure all is clear and that nothing will cause the baby to stumble and have an accident as he explores his surroundings. So what about the child entering into a new world of obstacles. Is it fair to allow him to fall? Doesn't the child have the equal right to have his parents remove the obstacles in his way as does the baby? Think about it, are you guilty of child neglect? If so, then rest assured that so are millions of other well-meaning parents. The point is to immediately stop neglecting your child and take action to remove any obstacles in your child's way today!
Here are some tips to end child neglect and start valuing your child: