Thoughts from the office of Mrs. Beth Gray, Founder St. Luke's Preschool and Kindergaten.
TO FEEL LOVED
-to be held and played with
-to know that his parents love, want and enjoy him
-to know that what happens to him matters to someone
TO FEEL ACCEPTED
-that his parents like him for himself, just the way he is
-that they like him all the time, and only when he acts according to their ideas of the way a child should act
-that they always accept him, even though they may not approve of the things he does
-that they will let him grow and develop in his own way
TO HAVE A ROLE MODEL
-to have grown-ups around him who show him by example how to get along with others
-to have friendly help in learning how to behave toward persons and things
TO HAVE A FEELING OF ACCOMPLISHMENT
-that his parents want him to grow up and that they encourage him to try new things
-that they have confidence in him and in his ability to do things for himself and by himself
SOMETHING TO BELIEVE IN
-a set of moral standards to live by
-a belief in the human values-kindness, courage, honesty, generosity and justice
TO FEEL SAFE
-that his home is a good safe place he can feel sure about
-that his parents will always be on hand, especially in times of crisis when he needs them most
-that he belongs to a family or group; that there is a place where he fits in
-that they will help him when he must face strange, unknown and frightening situations
TO LEARN THAT HE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT HE DOES
-that blaming others or the situation does not excuse him for what happens
-that if he unknowingly hurts someone, it is his duty to try to correct it
TO LEARN SELF-DISCIPLINE
-that there are limits to what he is permitted to do and that his parents will hold him to these limits-that though it is all right to feel jealous or angry, he will not be allowed to hurt himself or others when he has these feelings
How a child feels about himself and the world around him depends on who takes care of him and how they treat him.
