Editorial January 18, 1982 Issue

The child's maturity

NATHAN A. TALBOT

Is age three too early for you to teach a child to read? Is single dating among sixth-graders something parents ought to discourage? Are competitive team sports a negative influence on seven-year-olds?

Answers may vary depending on circumstances. But the questions do illustrate that today's parents can come under unusual demands to allow their children to participate in activities or be placed in situations calling for decisions youngsters are unprepared to make, or requiring instincts that they may not have developed. How can mothers and fathers recognize what is appropriate for their children at different stages and when to dissuade them from what seems unnecessary or untimely? How do parents cope with making decisions that would appear to isolate their children from "what all the other kids are doing"?

One way is to discover a certain kind of maturity your child already has. Christian Science helps the parent take a new look at the child—a look that will aid in guiding his development and will reinforce the parent's moral courage.

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