Janusz Korczak, a world-famous teacher, and psychologist from Poland, during the Nazi repressions in Poland, refused three times offers to escape and leave the Orphanage, the children’s organization he headed.
He was also an outstanding writer and talented children’s writer, who wrote more than 30 children’s works that were widely known to readers in Poland, Germany, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Belgium, and other European countries even before the war.
Janusz Korczak tried to fit all his experience and all his knowledge about raising children into 10 commandments, which he left behind as a testament to all people, in particular parents.
These rules, the words of an outstanding teacher, addressed to the parents of the whole world, should be heard by each of us:
Forget the illusion
That growing up, your child will be your copy of what you want him to be.
Your task is to help him become himself.
Find and develop the child’s talents.
To discern his calling and help fulfill his desire, to become whoever he wants.
Don’t wait
From a child reward.
You let him be born and see life, how can he repay you for this? How will you repay your love? How will he repay his debt? Nothing! After all, he can give life to the second generation, then he will give life to the third, this is the law of gratitude.
Do not transfer your grievances to the child
Only a weak and irrational parent takes out his grievances on other people on a child.
In order for a child to become protection and support in old age, you need to be able to sow and nurture only good things in him, others will teach him bad things.
Don’t look down on his problems
Life always sends trials to every one according to their strength, so be sure that it is not easier for him than yours, but most likely harder, he does not have life experience like you do.
Be wise
They say that the most important meetings in this life are the meetings of a person with children.
Be sensitive to them, there is always a chance that we will meet the One we are looking for in a child.
Don’t bite yourself
If you cannot do everything for your child, always remember: you do a lot for the child, but still it is not enough if you do not do everything possible and impossible for him.
In other words: do the best you can and don’t worry about imperfections.
Your child is not a tyrant
Which is born and occupies your whole life, subordinating it to itself. This is a precious vessel that Life has given you to keep, nurture and grow creative fire in it.
This is the true parental love of mother and father: they will raise not “our”, “their” child, but a living soul given for safekeeping.
Learn to love
Never wish or do to someone else’s offspring what you would not want to be done to yours.
Help other people’s children and hope that when the need arises, someone will help yours.
Love and it’s any
Even if he is untalented, unlucky, and did not grow up the way you expected him to.
Love your child, communicate with him, and rejoice, because a child is a gift that not everyone is trusted.