Nurtured By Love Or Matured By Nature?
|
|
"There is nothing new under the sun," states Ecclesiastes 1:9. This is certainly true of the nature-nurture debate, the modern name for the ageless argument about the importance of learning in the development of the child. While one side argues that the development of the child is mainly a process of maturation, with learning playing no more than a supportive role, the other side maintains that learning determines the entire course of a child's future.
The wise king Solomon certainly supported the nurture assumption when he stated in Proverbs 22:6, "Train the child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." The famous French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau, on the other hand, posited a natural development of the child. In fact, he wanted the child to be protected from the influences of society so that he can grow up as Nature intended him to be.
A thorough study of feral children, and children who were raised or kept in extreme isolation, makes it difficult NOT to support the nurture assumption.
FERAL CHILDREN AND WHAT WE LEARN FROM THEM
Probably the best-known story of feral children is that of the two girls, Amala and Kamala, who were raised by a she-wolf. In 1920 the reverend J. A. L. Singh saw a mother wolf and cubs, two of which had long, matted hair and looked human. After considerable preparation and difficulties, the two human creatures were captured. They turned out to be two girls whose ages were assessed by Singh at about eight years and one and a half years respectively.
The creatures were taken to an orphanage in Mindapore, India, where the Reverend and his wife were stationed. Singh described them as "wolfish" in appearance and behavior. They walked on all fours and had calluses on their knees and palms from doing so. They were fond of raw meat and stole it when the occasion presented itself. They licked all liquids with their tongues and ate their food in a crouched position. Their tongues permanently hung out of their thick, red lips, and they panted just like wolves. They never slept after midnight and prowled and howled at night. They could move very fast, just like squirrels, and it was difficult to overtake them. They shunned human society altogether. If approached, they made faces and sometimes bared their teeth. Their hearing was very acute and they could smell meat at a great distance. Furthermore, while they could not see well during the day, they could orientate themselves very well at night. In September 1921 both girls became ill, and Amala, the younger, died.
There are many other stories of feral children in the literature, amongst others the story of a boy who lived in Syria, who ate grass and could leap like an antelope, as well as of a girl, who lived in the forests in Indonesia for six years after she had fallen into a river. She walked like an ape and her teeth were as sharp as a razor.
These stories do far more than just to confirm the important role of education. They actually show that a human being not only can but MUST be educated to become a human being at all. A bear does not have to learn to be a bear; he simply is one. A duck needs no lessons in duckmanship. And an ant leads a perfectly satisfactory life without any instruction from other ants. Even when isolated from birth, animals usually retain clearly recognizable instincts. A cat that is raised among dogs, will still behave like a cat. He won't try to bite the postman. There are only a few exceptions, such as the lion cub, which would not be able to hunt the wildebeest when raised in isolation.
Man, however, enters this world very poorly equipped. The knowledge a child needs to become fully human is not dormant. Everything the child eventually knows, or can do, must be learned. This of course excludes natural body functions, such as breathing, as well as the reflexes, for example the involuntary closing of the eye when an object approaches it. Everything else, however, must be learned.
A child must LEARN to walk erect, to talk, to eat with a knife and fork, to catch a ball, to ride a bicycle, to swim, et cetera. The mastery of these skills does not fall from the sky. A child must also learn to sustain his attention, to listen when spoken to, to follow through on instructions, to control his behavior and to sit still and remain in his seat when the situation so requires. These abilities, which play a determining role in school success, also do not happen automatically. The same applies to qualities such as friendliness, thankfulness, honesty, truthfulness, unselfishness and respect for authority. All these skills and qualities ? and many more ? must be learned for the child to eventually lead a happy and successful adult life.
PARENTS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT EDUCATORS
The road to adulthood can be compared to a traveler who wants to travel from one place to another, but does not know the way. He therefore needs directions. If he receives the wrong directions, he will never reach his destination. A child who enters this world is in exactly the same situation. He also has a destination ? he must become a grown-up man or a grown-up woman ? but he has no idea how to get there. Consequently, he needs to be directed by grown-up persons, who have already traveled along this route, and who therefore can lead him to adulthood.
The problem is that most people have come to identify the term "education" and "learning" only with schools and schooling. The school has grown from the modest institution it was in the nineteenth century to one that is blamed for all the ills of society and is seen as potentially capable of curing them. The school's functions and influence have been extended ? some would say over-extended ? and therefore the school is exceedingly vulnerable to criticism. It is, however, very important to note that the whole of education does not take place in the school. The school is especially responsible for the FORMAL aspects of education, namely subject instruction, in order to provide society with an able workforce. The parents, on the other hand, are the PRIMARY educators of their child. And, as the primary educators of their child, THEY have the greatest responsibly to direct their child to adulthood.
Being a parent is a tremendous privilege. But it is also a tremendous responsibility. Therefore parents must make sure that they are properly equipped for the task at hand because, as the late violin teacher Shinichi Suzuki so rightly stated, "The destiny of children lies in the hands of their parents."
About The Author
Susan du Plessis is the co-author of "The Myth of ADHD and Other Learning Disabilities; Parenting without Ritalin," and the author or co-author of four other books on learning and learning disabilities. She has been involved in helping children reach their full potential for 15 years. She holds BD and BA Hons (psychology). Visit her website at http://www.audiblox2000.com
|
|
|
What Should I Know About Strattera For Adhd?
Strattera came out around January of 2003, and is becoming more and more popular as a treatment for ADHD. Strattera is a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor that came on the market in 2003. It is becoming more and more popular as a treatment for ADHD and is available nationally. Strattera is a type of ADHD treatment that works differently ...(related: Parenting)
How To Put Your Kids (or Grandkids) On The Fast Track To Success
Working with adults (as well as children and teens) for the past 12 years I have noticed that there are just a few primary struggles that most adults face. I also see how better training as a child and teen could have given them the skills and attitudes that would have prevented the problems that they now face.The primary areas adults struggle with are1. Money, primarily debt2. Lack of disciple, or the inability to do what they want to do, be it weight, money, work etc.3. RelationshipsAs I see it, much of the way we live our lives is groomed as we grow up. And while...(related: Parenting)
How To Help Your Child Be Successful In Kindergarten
Your child's first year of school should be a fun and excitingtime. Children who are comfortable with and prepared for th...(related: Parenting)
Parents/teens And Money ? 5 Ideas For Keeping The Peace
Children and teenagers are relentlessly bombarded with merchandise that entices. It can be difficult to find contentment when a newer, better, faster gizmo of the moment hits the market every day. What's a parent to do?<...(related: Parenting)
The B Word
Former students would probably attest to the fact that few things tried my patience as much as did the statement, "This is boring!" As I reflect back on my many years in the classroom, I can't help but feel a tad bit sorry for the first kid w...(related: Parenting)
How To Help Your Child Learn
Just as every snowflake is unique, so is every child. The way that your child learns depends a number of different factors, which combined together, create his unique learning style. By helping your child discover how he learns the best, you will set him up for life time success in learning, and reduce the frustrations that come through trying to learn in a way th...(related: Parenting)
Public Schools Can Cripple Your Childrens Ability To Read
For many adults, reading a book or newspaper seems effortless. Yet reading effortlessly comes from constant use of basic skills learn...(related: Parenting)
How To Give Your Child Encyclopedic Knowledge?
When you talk about multiply your child's intelligence, you can't help but to mention about Dr. Glenn Doman. He is the founder of The Institutes for the Achievement of Human Potential and began pioneering the field of child brain development since 1940. He and the institute are famous for their pioneering work with brain-injured children and their work in early development for well children.Glenn has authored many books and materials that teach parents how to teach their babies at home such as 'How to teach your baby to read', 'How to teach your baby math', 'How to teach your baby to be physically superb'. Of course, his best selling book "How to give your baby encyclopedic knowledge" that I had used to train my children. Guess what? It re...(related: Parenting)
Sibling Fighting - Reduce Sibling Rivalry By Not Keeping Score
Recently, a much-anticipated game of mini-golf with my children soon turned into a disaster. There were smiles all round as we hit off from the first tee but the enjoyment factor was reduced to zero as my children's smiles were replaced by tears, put downs and whining.The source of all this angst was the scorecard. Or to be more precise competitiveness over the scores. The pressure was on my eldest to make sure that his younger siblings did not turn in a better score than he did. The game was going disastrously for him and it appeared that a thrashing from a younger sister was imminent. And the youngest was reduced to tears as her score didn't quite match her expectations. I felt my blood begin to boil as the family activity disintegrated amongst the tears of a poorly-performing daughter, the put downs from the eldest and the whining...(related: Parenting)
Are You Frustrated With Public Schools?
Join a growing number of parents and teachers!Fact: Last year, our nation spent over $382 Billion on education. Over 99% was spent on developing "learning environments" - buildings, books, science labs, teachers, sports programs, etc. The other part of the equation ? what children can do for their education - is almost entirely overlooked.<...(related: Parenting)
Will My Doubts And Fears Affect My Child?
"Will my doubts and fears affect my child?" This father is concerned about his son, a high school athlete with a vision of playing professional sports. The father's fear is that his son won't be accepted into the 'right' college to be scouted by the professionals. He wanted to know:How does your vibration, as a parent, affect your children?Can your ...(related: Parenting)
Picky Eaters - Successful Strategies Part 1
What is in a name?The answer is everything!Jo J. of Victoria, Texas said that her son was a very pickyeater between the ages of four and six and refused to eat manyof the dishes she made, until she discovered the art of renamingrecipes."One evening I discovered that he would eat ANYTHING he thoughtmight be on the diet of the characters of his favorite TV showat the time, 'The Young Riders.' Oh, yeah," Jo says, "The Kid'sBeans, Teaspoon's Favorite Casserole, Young Riders' Skillet, andmany others became sudden favorites of my picky eater son. Tothis day, he still enjo...(related: Parenting)
Meet The Twixters!
There is a new stage of development for parents to consider.The stages of development are roughly the following: children move from infancy, to early childhood and onwards to middle childhood. These stages take roughly the first ten or so years of life. Our children then move into a long stage known as adolescence (with a number three sub-stages) that is a transition phase into adulthood. That's it, right?No, it seems that we have another phase that links adolescence with adulthood. The twenty-first birthday used to signify a move into adulthood and all its accompanying privileges and responsibilities. Now the years from 18 until 25 and beyo...(related: Parenting)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | Baby Care Info | All Rights Reserved. | Parenting