| Children in today's society seem to be much | | | | them to ensure that the rules were obeyed. |
| more pampered and less responsible than they | | | | In the modern world, daily survival is not the |
| were a few decades ago. They also seemed to | | | | struggle it once was. Parents have become more |
| have lost much of the value system that most of | | | | lenient and loving than their predecessors would |
| us took for granted growing up. By examining the | | | | have dreamed of being. Every child enjoys playing |
| roles of children in the past, we may be able to | | | | with toys and receiving a quality education. Many |
| trace the source of the problems that we are | | | | experts stress that parents should allow their |
| having with today's troubled youth. | | | | children to thoroughly enjoy their childhood as a |
| In olden days, children were treated as small | | | | vital step to them becoming healthy and happy |
| adults and given many of the same responsibilities | | | | adults. |
| that were shouldered by their parents. | | | | Due to this attitude of child rearing, several |
| Youngsters worked side by side with their | | | | problems have developed. Some young people |
| parents in the fields as soon as they could walk. | | | | today seem to have no respect for anything, and |
| Children serving as soldiers were not uncommon | | | | many are ending up in jail before their eighteenth |
| in some countries. Marriages took place when a | | | | birthday. Drug and alcohol abuse is running |
| person was approximately twelve years of age in | | | | rampant. As adults, many of these children find |
| the hopes that they could reproduce in the few | | | | that they are unable to cope with "real" life. |
| years that they had to live. Young people in these | | | | As a parent, there are several ways that you can |
| times were exposed to the harsh realities of life | | | | help your child to grow into a successful adult. The |
| virtually from birth. | | | | main thing to remember is that every child needs |
| Death was also an every day event when the | | | | rules, and penalties should be handed out if these |
| average life span was approximately forty years | | | | guidelines are not obeyed. This does not mean |
| of age. Only one in five children survived to | | | | that you should physically punish your child by any |
| adulthood, so the loss of siblings was a common | | | | means. You can decide on an appropriate |
| occurrence as well. Many parents did not live to | | | | punishment, but punishment should be given. If |
| see their children grow up due to the loss of life in | | | | you establish a set of rules and do not follow |
| battle and childbed, and many children were raised | | | | through with them, you could be sending your |
| by adults that had little or no blood connection to | | | | child the message that rules are not important. |
| them. | | | | You may also want to give your child some |
| All of these factors prohibited most children from | | | | responsibilities around the house. This is a good |
| being pampered or spoiled. The daily struggle to | | | | way to teach your child many of the |
| survive curtailed any frivolity. This is not to say | | | | housekeeping skills that they will need as adults. |
| that these parents did not value or care about | | | | Teaching your child to respect themselves and |
| their children. Any child that survived infancy was | | | | others as well as good manners is key to their |
| considered to be a great asset and human nature | | | | continued social success. |
| dictated that these children may have been | | | | As a parent, it is your job as well as your |
| cherished dearly. | | | | privilege to teach your child everything that they |
| Discipline was also much more vigorous than it is | | | | will need to know as they grow. Having a good |
| today. Due to the dangers that were present in | | | | parenting plan can prevent your child from ending |
| the settings of old, disobeying a parent's rule could | | | | up in situations that both you and he will regret |
| commonly lead to death. As a way to protect | | | | later. |
| these youngsters, many parents physically beat | | | | |