| Perhaps the parents enjoyed the feel of
authority over the daughter or reversal of refusal was their way of impressing
her about their love for her. Whatever the case, the consequences that ensue stage
by stage become irreversible. They include a long-term disturbance in the mental
and physical health of the parents. There followed another phase, as the
daughter got to know the weakness of fickle- ness (wavering) of the parents. She
would argue, sulk or cry until the answer is reversed to "okay yes, dear"
where the parents should have remained firm with the original refusal. Such a
successful exploitation of the parents' love was more a rule of the game than
exception for the daughter. With it, her choices for which the initial permission
was negative became bolder and bolder. What is worse, the siblings too tended
to follow her behaviour. Resoundingly & Resolutely. The
best love and affection for the child, since her early childhood, lies in the
parents saying "NO" resoundingly and remaining firm with it resolutely
provided however where such an answer is absolutely prudent or fair and the child
is explained fully the reason for it. The child may show anger and sulk temporarily
but will have permanently more respect for the authority of the parents. So
instead of coming up with a quick initial or cursory negative answer to every
request for permission in the beginning -only to be reversed later, the parents
must give an earnest thought to the child's request. They may even take time and
then come up with a firm and final decision, which is fair, and this may turn
out to be rightly in favour or against the wishes of the child. Unfortunately,
this is not the case with a number of families and on many occasions. The long
term and far reaching consequences are disastrous. The daughter who has
been conditioned by her own parents into exercising such a freedom in open disobedience
to the parents tends to continue with the freedom after her marriage and runs
the risk of the break-up of her marriage even before its first anniversary. When
the parents let the awe and respect of the child for them to erode, the most likely
result is the frustration of most of the aspirations of the parents regarding
his/her education, career, religious commitment, family attachment or good conduct
in the society, and also his/her matrimonial happiness. If only the parents
would tell the child the truth: that this world is not as warm, rosy and saintly
as it seems to the child while he/she is under the care and protection of the
parents; that this world is not needless of precautions against dangers which
lurk am in every corner, and that refusal of permission where prudent and kept
firm is apart of that very care and concern which in turn makes the child feel
this world safe and secured.
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