Children

Family practice is both a pleasure and many a times nuisance.One has to be ready to act devil's advocate.If the advice is beneficial to the receiver everything is fine.Else!
Many a time we see young parents pampering their children,yes,babies do need pampering but not to the extent of spoiling them.Most of the times it is exactly this.You know a couple gets a much wanted child and it becomes all important to them.Everything is taken care of.The child starts growing,obviously,and the parents start expecting too much.
The most common mistake that the parents do is ignore the child,in a sense that it is only a child and will understand nothing.Wrong,a small baby of about 6 months starts understanding,I know this as only a family physician can.Immunize a baby at 2 months,it will forget.but when you have administered the vaccine at 6th month you are in trouble.The baby then on will recognize you as an enemy!If a baby can have that long a memory imagine what will be happening to the inaction of the parent!The baby will remember!
Never ever give the baby anything unless you are very sure about the need.If the baby asks for something that you can afford and is reasonable do not refuse.On the other hand if the demand is not reasonable never yield.Still better give the child whatever you can afford and that should be reasonable.
Once the child is old enough to understand, explain whatever you can and if you don't know never lie.Children are very smart and will immediately realize if you do.And once you are caught in a lie the trust is gone and you can't regain it.
Eventually the child starts going to school.Remember your childhood.Every parent wants the child to do well,naturally.But judge your child's capacity.Do not have unrealistic expectations.contemporaries of your child may be scoring well and your child unfortunately may not.Remember, the education is not made to order.One child may have the aptitude for the subjects taught and another not.But in the prevailing circumstances there is nothing that can be done, until university level.Do not lose heart,every child can not become a doctor or engineer and need not be and nothing is lost.Ultimately what is important is that the child should become responsible citizen of the country.
I am not arguing that academic success is not important,but if unfortunately a child is not very good academically all is not lost.
Remember that Bill Gates is a college drop out and so is many important people in the society.
Usually parents want their children to achieve what they wanted and could not.They want their children to fulfill their dreams. Your children can't be you a couple of decades after your childhood.
and never ever decide or dictate to the child what it should do or not do.Let it decide as the generation today is smarter than what it was a couple of decades ago,they have their own wishes,likes and dislikes.
If you decide what your child is going to do or not do you will have a child no better than you!
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