In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child’s
acquisition of each new skill—the first spoken words, the first independent
steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is often tempted to hurry (51)______
the child beyond his natural learning rate, and this can set up dangerous (52)______
feelings of failure and states of worry in the child. This might happen at
any stage. A baby might be forced to use a toilet too early; a young child
might be encouraged to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the
words he reads. On other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or
without any learning opportunities, he loses his natural enthusiasm
for life and his desire to find new things for himself. (53)______
Parents vary greatly on their degree of strictness towards their children. (54)______
Some may be especially strict in money matters. Others are severe over
times of coming home at night or punctuality for meals. In general, the
controls imposing represent the needs of the parents and the values of the (55)______
community as much as the child’s own happiness.
As regards the development of moral standards in the grown child, (56)______
consistency is very important in parental teaching. To forbid a thing one
day and excuse it the next is no foundation for morality. Also, parents
should realize that "Example is better than precept". If they are not sincere
and do not practice what that they preach, their children may grow confused (57)______
and emotionally secure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, (58)______
and realize they have been in some extent fooled. A sudden awareness of a (59)______
marking difference between their parents’ principles and their morals can (60)______
be a dangerous disappointment.