A young father asked an elderly neighbor how strict parents should be with their children.
The old man pointed to a rope between a big tree and a young one, saying:"Untie the rope."
The young father did so and at once the young tree bent. Then the old man asked the young man to tie it again, and immediately the young tree stod upright as it used to.
Now the old man said,"There, it is the same with children. You must be strict with them for their healthy growth. But sometimes you must let them stand alone to see if they are strong enough. Being strict with them is for the sake of their independence development."
【参考译文】
一位年轻父亲问一位上年纪的邻居，父母亲应该如何严格对待自己的孩子。
老人指着一根绑在一棵大树和一棵小树之间的绳子说：“解开绳子。”
年轻父亲解开绳子，小树马上弯下了腰。随后，老人让年轻父亲又绑好绳子，小树马上像先前那样站得笔直。
这时，老人说道：“瞧，这和养孩子一样，为了他们健康成长，你必须严格要求他们。但有时，你必须让他们自立，看他们是否足够强壮。严格要求他们，是为了他们独立发展。”
