- Image via Wikipedia
It’s the first day of school, the first separation. You and your child can no longer spend every moment together, sharing laughter and silly conversations. He must instead begin an education, seeking new friends and new experiences. Neither one of you realized, however, that those experiences would be so different than the world you’d created at home (the easy routines, the quiet). A classroom is wild in comparison, offering shrieking students and a frazzled teacher.
Your child is overwhelmed — begging you to take him away, to keep him from the madness. And you realize that all of those days at the house were perhaps not the convenience you had assumed.
It cannot be denied that keeping your sons and daughters close is necessary. You must spend their formative years teaching them all you can, ensuring that they’re happy and healthy. Claiming all of their focus for yourself, however, has left a void that can’t easily be filled. They lack extroversion; they don’t understand their peers; and the result is confusion.
Socialization is therefore essential. No parent should demand all attention, all time. Instead it must be shared among others. The rewards are vital:
One: Communication. Your child cannot rely always on your ability to understand him. He must instead learn to speak with others. Forging new relationships allows this to occur.
Two: Social skills. You cannot teach everything your child must know. Social cues, values and more must instead be experienced. Interaction breeds an understanding of the world and how it’s to be maneuvered.
Three: Sharing. Toys once belonged entirely to your child. Now, however, they must be shared. This essential skill helps to promote goodwill toward fellow students and offers the realization that no individual is more important than others. Egos are quickly tamed.
You wish to offer yourself to your son or daughter. You must still allow others to join the cause, however. Exposure to new ideas and new faces is invaluable.
