Spend time with your child, talking and sharing concerns as he or she is growing up. It is important that a relationship of trust, confidence, and understanding be developed at an early age. This film and the following one deal with problems children face during adolescence. Preparing For Adolescence: The Origins of Self Doubt For example, “We’ll have more time together after I’m finished with my graduate work,” or “when I finish painting the house,” or even “when the baby gets a little older.” He asks us to consider making some changes now, instead of continuing to wait for circumstances to change. It calls on us to reassess our priorities and not to be caught up by time pressures that cause families to put off spending more time together. It asks parents to realize and reaffirm their commitment together, that the most important responsibility parents have in their life is raising their children and bringing them to Christ. The main theme of this film applies to mothers and fathers alike, especially since there is an increasing number of working mothers. It calls on fathers to rededicate themselves to the task of leadership in the home by spending more time with their families. The film titled Christian Fathering is perhaps the most moving and inspirational. He urges us to take disciplinary action before we are driven to anger. He asks us to consider a common error he believes many parents and teachers make in handling discipline, that of using anger to motivate children to comply instead of using action. Dobson asks us to keep in mind that the purpose of discipline is to give a child the ability to control his impulses and exercise self-discipline later in life.Īnother main point he makes is the importance of connecting behavior to consequence. He discusses discipline that bends the will, and compares it to discipline that crushes the spirit. He cites several examples to give a clear understanding of just how we can discipline without damaging a child’s self-esteem. When Dobson speaks of the spirit of a child he is referring to the self-esteem or the personal worth that a child feels. Dobson distinguishes between the spirit and will of a child. Film 2: Shaping the Will Without Breaking the Spirit Reassure and teach after the confrontation.ĭobson concludes that parents have a God-given responsibility to shape the will of their children. Distinguish between willful defiance and childish irresponsibility.Ĥ. When defiantly challenged, respond with confident decisiveness.ģ. Define the boundaries before they are enforced.Ģ. Dobson explains the following guidelines parents should follow when disciplining their children:ġ. Dobson calls “the strong-willed child” needs a special kind of understanding and discipline by his parents. The first film discusses Dobson’s contention that with regard to strength of will, some children are born naturally compliant, while others are more demanding and defiant from birth. As with most stimulating sessions, there was the wish that time would have permitted more in depth sharing in smaller group clusters. Those who attended found the series to be well worth seeing, especially as it gave a basis for discussing several important and common problems. The time format we used and found to work out well was Coffee and informal sharing of views ended each evening. Following the film, one of our priests made some brief comments on the topic presented and then opened the discussion to all. A flyer and accompanying letter were sent at the outset, about a month in advance, to each parish priest not only on the Island, but to the near-by New York and New Jersey areas as well. It was held on a weekday night and the attendance ranged between 60 and 100 people. In our case, several Orthodox parishes of various jurisdictions on Long Island got together to co-sponsor this film series in one of the churches that was central to most people. Presented in this way, the films provide a much-needed opportunity to discuss family living with other Orthodox Christians. When sponsored by an Orthodox parish or group, the viewing of each film should be followed by a group discussion with a priest for guidance. Focus On The Family helps to fill this need. The series provides an excellent source of new ideas and practical suggestions for renewing family relationships based on Christian and sound psychological principles.Īlthough the bookstores and newsstands are flooded with information on child development, child rearing, family living, and marital problems, there is a tremendous need for discussion of these topics from a Christian viewpoint. The films discuss a variety of topics related to family life, including discipline, authority, problems during adolescence, and marital harmony. Focus On The Family is a series of seven films by Dr.
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