Shaw High School - Shuttle Yearbook (East Cleveland, OH)

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INTRODUCTION “Our introduction is dedicated to today's parents as well as our future parents.” A Gift l or Your C hild Raising a child is delicate business. A parent can unknowlingly leave a child with wounds he will carry all his life. On the other hand, a parent can bless him by letting him know he is loved, important, and respected as a unique person. Th is gift often not given is self esteem. It's a healthy appreciation for oneself and self-confidence to succeed or cope with failure. It's a child accepting himself the way God made him. Many children develop a sense of inferiority that haunts them the rest of their lives. They grow up in homes plagued with unfulfilled relationships and personal frustrations. From these lonely youths come teen-age suicides and juvenile crimes. Violent behavior against themselves or others is one way of coping with their feelings of inferiority. Parents can help, especially fathers. As the leaders in the home, fathers play a crucial role in developing self-confidence and a positive self-image in children. The most important factor in developing a child's self-image is how he is treated by his parents during his first years. By age five a child develops his estimate of his worth. This extimate is based on the actions, statements, and expectations of his parents. During his first years, a child looks to his father. The father balances the strengths and weaknesses of the mother. As the leader, he carries the major responsibility for discipline. His oppinions and behavior help the child decide how he feels about himself 9 Brothers and sisters also play a role in forming a child's self-image. Sensitive parents will watch their children's relation- ship to one another and help them show love to each other. This is cxpccially important when the children arc only a year or two apart. The younger often lives in the shadow of the older. In his book Hide or Seek, James Dobson attacks two values he claims have infiltrated American society and the home. He says that beauty and intelligence arc standards wrongly used to evaluate human worth. What about the child who is ugly or who is a slow learner? What is he supposed to think about himself? In far too many cases, he is made to feel inferior and rarely develops his full potential. As a child grows with a feeling of inferiority, he gets caught in a vicious cycle where bad experiences confirm his poor image of himself The cycle can be broken, but it isn't easy. The following list may be helpful to parents who want to build self-esteem in their children. 1. Husband, make your relationship with your wife most important. Parents who first love each other provide security for their children. 2. Evaluate your expectations of your children. Are you requiring too much? Are you forcing them into roles they aren't ready for (c.g.. Little League star, exceptional student)?. 3. Examine your own self-image. Recognize your strengths and build on them. Be realistic about your weaknesses. Don't be afraid to confess weaknesses and mistakes to your children. 4. Give your children responsibilities around the home. Compliment them when they do them well. Add more responsi- bilities as they grown older to encourage feelings of independence and accomplishment. 5. Spend plenty of time with your children. This alone communicates that they are important to you. I nvolve them in your activities. For example, take them to work with you some time, if feasible. 6. Be interested in. what your children accomplish. Give lots of sincere recognition and praise. 7. Help them be realistic about their failings. Always look for areas where they succeed. 8. Show trust. Let them know you are counting on them to do certain things within their capabilities. 9. Treat them with respect. Let them express themselves and listen, 10. Prepare them for adolescence. Let them know what will happen, physically and socially, when they become teen- agers. 11. Pray with your children. Thank God for each child's special gifts and abilities. Taken from 1ood Monthly

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s tw estie nMA s 15320 Euclid Avenue EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO 44112 VISIONS OF '79

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TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION DEDICATION HOMECOMING SENIORS FACULTY AND ADMINISTRATORS SPECIAL PROGRAMS UNDERCLASSMEN FASIONS AND FADS THE NEW YOUTHS CANDIDS QUIPS SPORTS ORGANIZATIONS SENIOR STATISTICS OLD WILL AND TESTAMENT ADVERTISEMENTS