Source: Excepts from "
The Parent's Guide" published and written by The LDS Church
"The mother and child are constant companions. Mother is a coach and tutor,
involved in the numberless trials, errors, and successes of this developmental
period. "
"Loving and consistent parenting helps children accept themselves and their
gender identity during these three years. Unkind parenting can plant seeds of
self-doubt and even confusion about the gender role. These seeds can germinate
into personal problems in the following years unless parents change and show
increased affection and acceptance."
"To guide their feet properly, we must show natural affection to children from
the very beginning. Infants need to be physically and emotionally cared for.
They need continual intimate contact with their parents. It is in this intimate
closeness that future relationships begin to develop."
"To develop close, loving relationships with infants, keep them clean and fed,
and meet all of their needs kindly and consistently. From this steady,
predictable care, infants develop a sense of emotional security and learn that
they can trust people. Constantly give approval to them. Watch, applaud, hug,
and kiss them..."
"Be kind and patient as infants learn to do things for themselves. Harsh
correction could diminish their self-esteem and make them anxious about
trusting others."
"Through all stages of growth, children need parental encouragement. Punishment
for failure will make them feel inferior and unwilling to develop close
relations. Pressure to progress faster than they are ready can create
emotional frustration..."
"How profoundly the Prophet Joseph Smith spoke when he expressed yearnings of
the human heart: "when persons manifest the least kindness and love to me, O
what power it has over my mind, while the opposite course has a tendency to
harrow up all the harsh feelings and depress the human mind" "
" Be loving when you correct your children, Do not withhold affection from them
as a way to chastise them, for they may not learn to give affection to others.
Physical or emotional abuse may teach a child that cruelty is the normal way to
treat other people. Do not spank a child in this age-group (birth to 3 years) with
any force and never with an instrument. Also, avoid making a child fearful by locking him in
a dark room or threatning to leave him alone."
"...consider the following counsel that President Joseph F. Smith gave to
fathers to use with their sons. It can be applied just as well to mothers and
daughters:
"Fathers, if you wish your children to be taught in the principles of the
gospel, if you wish them to love the truth and understand it, if you wish them
to be obedient to and united with you, love them! and prove to them that you do
love them by your every word or act to them. For your own sake, for the love
that should exist between you and your boys-however wayward they might
be...when you speak or talk to them, do it not in anger, do it not harshly, in
a condemning spirit. Speak to them kindly;...Soften their hearts, get them to
feel tenderly toward you. Use no lash and no violence, but...approach them with
reason, with persuasion and love unfeigned...Get them to feel as you feel, have
interest in the things you take interest, to love the gospel as you love it, to
love one another as you love them; to love their parents as the parents love
the children. You can't do it in another way"
