The author is an Israelite who spent herchildhood in China. After she divorced, she decided to take her two sons and one daughter to Israel to find the Israelite secrets of educating children because she didn't want to be a failed mother. Nowadays, she has realized her dream and become a successful mother. Her sons have both achieved their goalsand became millionaires and her daughter is on the way to become a diplomat. In this book, the author compares Israelite family education with Chinese and illuminate the Israelite methods of teaching in detail.
Part1: Chinese parents wrong thoughts about education
1.Good grades=successful life
A lot of Chinese parents do everything for kids such as washing clothes, making up a bed, even packing the schoolbag so as to save their kids’ time of learning. They think when children graduate from university and find a good job children will lead happy life since then.
2.Love=give everything they want
It’s often reported that some children threatento kill themselves if their needs couldn’t be met. It reveals that some parents satisfy their children’s needs immediately so their children take everything for granted.
3.I do all for the sake of you
Parents tend to make decision for their kids.They help children to choose school, career and spouse. They believe that children lack experience and wisdom of making right decisions. When children blame them they will say that I do all of these just because I love you.
Part2:Israelite methods of teaching
1.Develop children’s comprehensive abilities
Israelites believe that life skill is very important so they encourage children to do housework from an early age. They should earn pocket money by cleaning dishes, sweeping the floor and washing clothes.Also, children are taught to know money, manage money, write down their expenseand learn the knowledge about money when they are still very young. They want children to know that money comes from pain. Besides, parents let children talkwith shoppers, officials and strangers to improve their communicating skills.Diligence is not the only factor contributing their great success and social skills is also very important. In addition, parents teach children to collect information and manage time. It’s very important in our life. However, few parents will teach children to do so and most of them just inspire children to study well and go to a good college. It resonates with me. My parents have no awareness of develop my skills besides study. I realized that I lack so many abilities compared with my peers. So we lack various abilities to live independently.
2.Sometimes say no to children
Schools in Israel advocate activities to let childrenknow parents’ work. After knowing that parents work hard to earn money,children will cherish what their parents do for them. When children ask for something, if it’s not reasonable, they will say no immediately. If it’sacceptable, they will delay their needs and ask them to achieve curtain goals first. Even the richest parents won’t let their children lead an extravagant life because they expect their children to earn their ideal lives on their own.In order to make them cherish the current life, they will accompany them to go to African areas as volunteers. When children know how harsh their life conditions are they will know how happy life they lead.
3.Don’t make decisions for children
A doctor said that he won’t encourage childrento be a doctor just for the great salary because it’s difficult for them to persist in if they don’t have the strong motivation to save other people’s lives. Instead of choosing career for their children, Israelite parents help children to find the career they really love. Once children know what they really want to pursue they will make efforts actively. For example, author’s younger son desired to do businessofdiamonds so she encouraged children to have classesaboutdiamonds even though at first she thought tourismis a better choice. I believe that everyone has their own mission when theycome to the world. The happiest people are those who know what they love and dowhat they enjoy. Israelite parents know the importance of interests and allowchildren to explore their interests. So they give advice rather than giveorders.Maybe this is one of the reasonswhy Israelites make so great achievements in all walks of life. However Chinesestudents just follow the schedule of school and hold the ultimate goal to go touniversity. When they enter college, some of them lack the goal and feel lost.
4.Treat children equally
From an early age children want to be respected as an individual instead of an accessory. So parents shouldn’t ignore children’s willingness. Before making the decision about family, Israelite parents tend to hold the family meeting and discuss with their children. When children point their mistakes, they will apologize and correct their mistakes. They won’t abuse parents’ authority.
After read this book I came to realize that not every parents know how to educate children well though they can give birth to babies. Also , I know I lack a lot of abilities to fulfill my goal.
