i realise that if every few mths i start spouting theories like these, i will end up with a miniature book in a few years. i know my blog that has collected enough dust bunnies to populate a small country, is a really lousy place to publish any thoughts, but i believe in these [at the moment] enough to be responsible for them and to say i will follow my own doctrines. i welcome other comments or disagreement with my arguments. I recognise that they do not make room for exceptions, but to keep each of my arguments palatable by saying they are generalizations is just diluting my own convictions.

If anyone feels that a child should be scolded, my stand is to go ahead and reprimand the child. I hold that the only condition I want to see being satisfied is that the person who scolds the child uses a logical argument and not merely authority and volume. There will be a day where authority is lost and volume… well that’s just plain annoying on any day isn’t it.

To scold a child by simply barking commands and expect the distressed child to understand why and comply is equally irritating as not doing anything at all and allowing the child to continue to err in his or her way or to continue to be a nuisance.

Logic will tell you that even the most attention seeking young child does not intentionally strive to be a nuisance as they have yet to understand (and will take years before they can) the meaning of nuisance.

I believe that even young children can be spiteful. This is unfortunate but we cannot deny such an observation. Children know what it feels like to be hurt and understand that certain actions can hurt back the people they feel hurt by. It is the onus of the adult to be a model example for the child by respecting the child and other parties, and inculcate the child a respect for others.