A Child's Plea to Parents

This was given to every child's parents when my daughter started her 1st preschool...8 years ago.( Shepherd of the Hills Preschool)
I have been looking for this for a long time, i knew i have stashed it away, since it is precious. In the midst of the move, found it and boy! i am glad or what :-).

From: Ann Landers Column

Ann Says " This is an excellent guide for rearing gentile, independent, loving children. I hope many readers will clip it and read it from time to time "

Give me more than food to nourish me. Give me the warmth and security of your love.

Let me enjoy all the five senses. Give me plenty of things to look at, to feel to smell, to listen, to taste and even things to break.

Teach me to take my turn. Watch me play so you can see how i am trying to work out my problems and what i am up against.

When you tell me to do something, please tell me why I should do it. Let me feel that I am a contributing member of the family.

And be sure to include me in making the family plans when you can.

Please don't keep me your baby when I want to feel grown up. Don't transfer your fears to me. I have enough of my own to cope with and i don't need any more.

Help me not to act when I am angry. But don't make me so afraid of showing anger that I lose my capacity to feel strongly about anything.

Let me learn bit by bit to bear pain, to what things but to be strong enough to postpone gratification of certain feelings i'm not yet ready to experience.

Let me try out my new powers as my body develops--to creep, to stand, to walk, climb, jump and run when i am ready.

Don't limit the natural needs of my body because you have some unresolved hangups.

Give me a little corner in the house that is all mine and nobody else's. I need moments of peace and quiet that cannot be invaded by anyone.

Give me my share of consideration and attention. I must know everyday,

even if for just few moments that i am the only one you are thinking about and loving.

Let me ask any question that pops into my head. Don't make me ashamed for having asked it, even if it seems stupid. And give me as honest an answer as you can.

If you don't have an answer, please say so. Its good training to hear someone say, " I don't know, but I will try to find out for you"

Be patient with me when i don't do things very well at first. Remember I have so many things to learn and almost everything takes some practice.

Let me bear the consequences for whatever I do. I need to be punished as well as rewarded. And when you punish me, make sure the punishment fits the "crime"

Above all, grant me , without reservation, your debt to me --Unconditional love. For if i know it is there, i will be able to give the same to my children

and they will be able to give it to their children.

The Little Boy and the Old Man

Shel Silverstein 's book " A light in the Attic" has some great collection of poems for every soul in various flavors.
I took the liberty of presenting it in a photoshop format. Here is one of them.