Last night we took our five-year-old granddaughter to a public meeting with us. We left early, but not because she was misbehaving. It was past her bedtime; time to go.
We took a couple of quiet things to entertain her, and she went outside one time with her Papa. She was quiet, sat in her chair, and generally impressed the adults in the room. What would happen if you took your five-year-old to a meeting like that?
This little girl lived with us until about a year ago, when she was four and a half. We had the opportunity to build a foundation of character. Those early learning years are so important so a child’s character.
The key to this foundation that has stuck is consistency. She was, and still is, required to be polite and considerate at home, at friend’s homes, or in public. We have tried to teach her to think of other people before herself. It’s an ongoing process.
Don’t think that she’s a robot or perfect. Right now, she’s playing a video game. When appropriate, she’ll play with friends rather than sit with the adults. And occasionally she whines when having to wait. After all she is human.
I’m glad we used the time when learning is at its prime to impress character qualities rather than focusing on alphabet or numbers. Those she is learning on the way. Character and social skills will serve her better than being an early reader.
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