Arakin 4 kurs new 001 176. indd

blur
what should be 
the best 
decision.
But I don’t believe 
making a child’s wishes top priority
is 
a demonstration of love. Nor do I believe the rest of the world should 
act as a surrogate parent for somebody’s 
bad-ass kids
. 
(
LZ Grander-
son, Michigan, CNN)
a) In his article the author uses a number of synonyms for the word child. 
Write them out and show the difference in usage
b) Read the headline of the article. How is it connected with the main idea? 
What arguments are given by the journalist to support his point of view?

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c) The journalist highlights the following points:
— 
Children can ruin other people’s dinner, plane ride, grocery 
trip.
— If parents have “the look”, it means they have taught their kids 
discipline at home.
— Kids often grow up to be disruptive forces in the classroom.
— Making a child’s wishes top priority does not show love. It is 
harmful.
Discuss the points with a partner. Then share your answers with the class
d) The journalist sounds a bit judgmental. In the article find words and expres-
sions that have negative connotation
e) Do you agree or disagree with the journalist? Find more facts (articles) 
to back up your opinion
5. Team up with a partner and discuss the following rules for parents. Then 
share your answers with the class
1. Take a good look at yourself; consciously or unconsciously chil-
dren pattern themselves on their parents. If you have certain traits 
you don’t want your children to inherit, make a constant effort to get 
rid of these qualities. In other words, one of the most effective ways 
to child control is self-control.
2. Be relaxed. If you are ill at ease with children, they know it and 
become uneasy themselves. Children are very sensitive to tension.
3. Assert your authority. From the beginning try to make it clear 
to the children that while you love them and make any reasonable 
sacrifices for them, they are not rulers and have limited privileges and 
definite obligations.
4. Don’t expect miracles. The rule is particularly important in try-
ing to cope with children. It is both unfair and unwise to expect 
miracles in dealing with children. Unfair, because very often they 
simply haven’t reached that level of achievement yet. And unwise 
because if you constantly demand more than a child can give, you 
damage his confidence and may even end by making him doubt his 
value as a human being. Modern children grow physically and men-
tally very fast. But their rate of emotional growth is the same as it 
always was.

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5. Be consistent. Few things upset a child more than indecisive 
and erratic treatment from two people who represent law and order 
and stability in his world — his parents.
(From “The Secret World of Kids” by A. Linkletter)