The husband and wife are both worried over their young child who is extremely playful and naughty. This couple is my client, whom I considered as young parents and not having the relevant experience to raise their only child who is below 10 years of age.
With my experience that I had gone through parenting my three sons when they were kids, I gave some tips to this worrisome couple. I told them... I believe intelligence and smartness come with playfulness and naughtiness. A young child might be playful and naughty but when he is older, he is usually clever and intelligence. An intelligent child always has extra energy and is creative in thought too. The extra energy tends to make him playful and his creativeness causes the naughtiness in him. Whereas a less intelligent child might look well behave without causing nuisance to the surrounding or disturbing others, he might grow up to be not so brainy as the other playful child as mentioned.
I have three good sons. Of the three, one really gave me a lot of headaches when he was a little kid. Before he could even walk, he was learning to talk as a baby. Today he is a sweet talker who could even talk until the birds come down from the tree. He was active in every things, games, societies, music and sports. He studied with music and the TV on at the same time, and yet could pass examinations with flying colours. The only way, I could control him those days was with the cane. There was one occasion that we would not forget till today, was when I stripped him naked and chase him away from our house. He was lucky because our Malay neighbour picked him up and rescued him in time for further embarrassment. His playfulness when right up to his secondary school, with his class teacher calling me for personal interviews. He was almost terminated from school when the headmaster wanted to bar him from taking his O level final examination. It was my appeal to the principle who gave him the last warning and allowing him to continue studying instead. Thanks The Almighty! He completed his schooling here and later went to London to finish his degree with a first class honour. Today he is a well recognised corporate head, representing one of the largest international company. I termed him as successful, well mannered, a good father and husband, kind, intelligence and a super smart son today. And I am so proud of him. Well! He was very naughty and playful as a child, but with a lot of attention and patience rendered to him by both the father and mother, he has developed to be a likeable and a lovable person now.
To my friends, the father and mother of that naughty child... You have an intelligent child too, please teach and guide him to be smart and he will grow to be a successful man in future.
Food for thought -“Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands.” - Anne Frank