| . |
| he learns to condemn. If a child lives with hostility he learns to fight. If a child lives with ridicule he learns to be shy. If a child lives with shame he learns to feel guilty. If a child lives with tolerance he learns to be patient. if a child lives with encouragement he learns confidence. If a child lives with praise he learns to appreciate. If a child lives with fairness he learns justice. If a child lives with security he learns to have faith. If a child lives with approval he learns to like himself. If a child lives with acceptance and friendship he learns to find love in the world. by Dorothy Law Nolte (1954), and submitted by Jackie Williams. ABOUT THE AUTHOR. Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D., has been a teacher and lecturer on family dynamics and a parenting consultant in family life education for over 40 years. She is the mother of three, grandmother of two, and great-grandmother of five. She lives and works in Southern California. ABOUT THE POEM The poem "Children Learn What They Live" has had a life of its own since Dorothy wrote it in 1954, making its way around the world, many times appearing unauthorized, excerpted or modified in various forms and venues. Officially, the poem has been translated into ten languages and published worldwide, and it is used by teachers and clergy as part of the curriculum for parenting education classes. Over the years, a shortened version of "Children Learn What They Live" has been and continues to be given to millions of new parents in hospitals, and to physicians for their offices through Ross Products division of Abbott Laboratories. People who have met Dorothy Nolte have shared a spontaneous intimacy with her. One mother confessed that she keeps the poem in her bathroom, the only place she has personal privacy, to which she retreats when she needs quiet time. A father told her that he hung a copy above his workbench in the garage, where he goes to regain his perspective. | |