[vc_row padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”2/3″ id=”” class=”post-content” style=””][text_output]In 1962, renowned paediatrician Dr Benjamin Spock published the book, ‘Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care.’ He urged parents to trust their common sense and be flexible in consoling their newborn babies. Before that book, American parents following the traditional methods of parenting and did not feed milk to their babies whenever they cried. On the contrary, the culture was rather strict. Babies were fed according to a schedule and at prescribed times.
Of course, this regime did not fit the heart of every mother. When they heard their precious child crying and looking into those beautiful eyes, a mother’s instinct is to console. However, mothers learnt the importance of controlling the desires of the child from THEIR parents. This kind of training was necessary even from that tender age for the child to be strong. The mother would keep the baby in a crib instead of in her bed beside her and often leave the baby to cry if there was no dire need for their attention.
Grandmothers and mothers passed this wisdom down through generations as the way to raise a strong child. However, Benjamin Spock wrote in his book that when babies cry, mothers should immediately attend to them and feed them. This book became a bestseller and changed the way infants were nurtured. The child was now being taught from infant stage that THEY were in charge. This practice developed until the traditionally strict culture of parenting in America was lost and the result is evident.
The wisdom, learnt by the successes and failures of their fore-parents, was now lost. Nobody likes difficulties and it will naturally be unpleasant for the young. But overcoming the difficulty is the key to developing a strong heart. Going through them trains a child to persist even when the situation seems burdensome. Even babies need to learn that things will not always go the way they want.
Someone who is accustomed to living comfortably will develop a weak heart that crumbles at the slightest pressure: just like tofu. When they face the difficulties of life they cannot bear it; this weak heart will always crumble in the face of life’s many challenges. Burdensome situations present an opportunity for one to develop and grow. People with weak hearts run from them and want to hide; some are even led towards suicide. However, burdens are not necessarily the problem; at the gym, we give gladly burdens to our muscles so they can grow.
The mindset with which we have in the face of difficulties can either lead to a strong or a weak heart. Difficulties can either be something to avoid or to overcome. The next time when you are faced with a difficult situation, don’t run away from it; just think of the situation as a chance to build a strong heart, like a brick.
Tofu crumbles under stress, but stress off a brick. What is your heart like now, is it like a brick or tofu?[/text_output][share title=”Share this Post” facebook=”true” twitter=”true” google_plus=”true” linkedin=”true” pinterest=”true” reddit=”true” email=”true” id=”” class=”” style=””][/vc_column][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/3″][ultimate_heading main_heading=”Recent Posts” alignment=”left” main_heading_font_size=”desktop:20px;” main_heading_font_family=”font_family:Oswald|font_call:Oswald”][/ultimate_heading][recent_posts type=”post” count=”3″ orientation=”vertical” fade=”true” offset=”” category=”” id=”” class=”” style=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row padding_top=”0px” padding_bottom=”0px”][vc_column fade_animation_offset=”45px” width=”1/1″][vc_raw_html]JTNDc3R5bGUlM0UlMEEuZW50cnktdGh1bWIlMjBpbWclMjAlN0IlMEElMjAlMjAlMjAlMjBtYXgtaGVpZ2h0JTNBJTIwNDAwcHglM0IlMEElN0QlMEElMEEucG9zdC1jb250ZW50JTIwJTdCJTBBJTIwJTIwJTIwJTIwdGV4dC1hbGlnbiUzQSUyMGp1c3RpZnklM0IlMEElMjAlMjAlMjAlMjB0ZXh0LWp1c3RpZnklM0ElMjBpbnRlci13b3JkJTNCJTBBJTdEJTBBJTNDJTJGc3R5bGUlM0U=[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]
