Kahlil Gibran's Perspective on the Issue of Children
Summary:
Kahlil Gibran was correct when he stated that a child's parents should not be controlling toward their child; rather, they should give their children the opportunity to succeed on their own. When it comes to a child's thoughts and points of view, all the child needs from his or her parents is never-ending support.
Kahlil Gibran's perspective on the issue of children is that a child's parents should learn not to be so controlling. I agree with this perspective. I feel as though a child has to learn from his or her mistakes. A parent can not try to prevent their children from doing things. They are not always there, so their child may be doing those things regardless.
A parent's child is a gift from God. As mentioned in lines five and six, "They come through you but not from you," "And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you." This quote means that we are all God's children. We belong not to a being on Earth. Rather we belong to the man above. Some parents fail to realize this. What they also fail to realize is that although children may not act like it, they are capable of thinking for themselves. "You may give them your love but not your thoughts."; "For they have their own thoughts." Parents need to realize that when it comes to a child's thoughts and points of view, all the child needs from his or her parent is never ending support. Parents need to let there children go "swift and far." This can only be done by supporting them and not by thinking for them.
Parents also need to realize that sometimes they just try to hard. They try too hard to make their kids be like them. In some situations all that does is cause children to be distant from their parents. All this will lead to is a never ending chain of events. The more the parent tries to their children be like them, the more distant their child may become. As Kahlil Gibran stated in line eleven, "You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you." When a parent tries to live their life through their children and make their children be like them, they are living in the past. Life moves forward not backwards. We must not live for yesterday. Instead we should always live for today and tomorrow.
The misconception that most parents have is that if they live their lives through their children, then their children's life will be perfect. They sometimes think that if they don't act in such a manner then they are doing something wrong. By acting like this all they are really doing is holding their children back. This does not please God at all. God's love for parents is at its most when they allow their children to accomplish being successful on their own. As mentioned in line sixteen, "For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable." The bow which is talked about is symbolic of the parent. The arrow represents the child. What is meant by this quote is that parents can not go everywhere with their children. They have to allow their children to go out and explore the world on their own. They may worry about them but they have to realize that if their child makes a mistake it is up to him or her to fix it and/or learn from it. They have to live their life. Parents should also know that they shouldn't feel like they have failed with their children by not being there every single step of the way. God loves them for being happy that their children are living their life and going swift and far in doing so.
This excerpt on children hasn't really changed my own perspective. I have always felt this way about what a parent should and should not do. I feel like a parent should give their children some space. You can not control your children forever because all that will do is make them want to do more things against your will.
This is the complete article, containing 647 words
(approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page).
