prometheus
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Where's the fire?
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Re:Chat topics for September
« Reply #1 on: 2003-09-02 11:31:23 » |
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Quote from: David Lucifer on 2003-08-27 09:14:16 Tuesday 2003.09.02 - Raising a rational child. Tuesday 2003.09.09 - Why be good? Tuesday 2003.09.16 - The ethics of artifical intelligence. Tuesday 2003.09.23 - Socialism vs. liberty
| Some thoughts for tonight’s upcoming Chat topic of “Raising a Rational Child”.
I have found a site that looks promising http://rationalparenting.tripod.com/uk/index.html
It seems to me that probably the most difficult part to raising a rational child is to lead by example. For children are great mimics and imitators and their minds are designed to adapt to the milieu in which they are raised. Therefore thinking critically and acting rationally oneself is essential for nurturing a child who will adopt these traits. In addition, providing a stimulating environment structured to give positive feedback to rational behavior is also necessary.
Another element that is required for optimal development is a sense of security. This can be provided by a certain degree of structure to the day (regular feeding times and nap times) interspersed with exposure to novelty and opportunities to explore. One of the scaffolds that I have tried to provide my daughter with is teaching her Baby Signs (www.babysigns.com) which is a version of Sign Language for children. This has enabled her to communicate more effectively at an earlier time than her verbal development would allow. Today she asked me (through Baby Signs) to draw an elephant for her with her crayons pushing my artistic abilities far past their limits. Thankfully she accepted my drawing as being representative of an elephant.
What is the relevance of raising a rational child to the goals of the Church of Virus? Children have less to unlearn and are more open to new ideas than most adults. Therefore they seem to be appropriate vectors for many Virian memes and prime candidates to become Virions.
Looking forward to everyone's insights at the chat.
Prometheus
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