These past two days, I took two train rides and encountered two types of parents.
On both train rides, there were children. During the first ride, it was very quiet. However, during the second ride, the entire train car was noisy and I couldn't sleep at all.
The stark contrast made me curious, so I observed the behavior of these two types of parents. From what I observed, the level of noise made by the children is closely related to how the parents treat them. Parents with high standards and care for their children tend to have well-behaved children. On the other hand, parents with lower standards who neglect their children result in children who completely disregard the feelings of those around them.
Let's call the parents from the first ride "Parents A". Their child was around four or five years old. The child slept in the bunk bed next to mine, while the mother slept in the lower bunk. The mother prepared regular snacks and bedtime milk for the child, and also gave them a toy that makes sounds. The child quietly listened to stories on their own in the bunk bed. If the child got tired of listening, they would call out "mommy" and the mother would immediately get up to play with the child or play puzzle games on the phone together. The important thing is that throughout the night, whenever the child called out "mommy," the mother would immediately turn over and get up to comfort the child.
During the second train ride, the children were roughly the same age as the previous ride, but they were extremely noisy. Not only did they make a ruckus themselves, but they also bothered their parents. Several children even shouted and screamed together. As for the parents, let's call them "Parents B". At first, they tried to stop the children and say a few words, but then they focused on their own things, whether it was chatting, playing cards, or watching dramas. However, the children did not calm down, and Parents B no longer paid attention to them. It was clear that Parents B had become accustomed to this behavior and didn't think it was a big deal.
From the surface, we can't determine the educational background or family conditions of Parents A and B. However, we can see their personal qualities and how much they care about their children. One set of parents is extremely polite and takes care of their child's every need, considering everything thoroughly. The other set of parents ignores public behavior and allows their child to do as they please, neglecting the well-being of those around them.
I may not have experience in raising children, but I do know that children cannot control themselves like adults can, so they need their parents to guide them more. For naturally restless children, it takes more time and effort to prepare food, drinks, toys, and games to guide them without disturbing others. While a quick shout or ignoring them may be a swift response, it is not conducive to a child's education and causes inconvenience to others. However, most parents choose this simple and quick approach.
Parents who raise their children to be well-behaved are truly admirable. Children may not excel academically, but if they have good manners, it is a quality that deserves recognition.
Finally, here are some actions taken by Parents A for reference:
- Using food to comfort a restless child.
- Cute toys, preferably ones that make sounds, so the child can play by themselves.
- Educational games for children.
- Taking the child to explore the train, even walking to other train cars and introducing the functions of different things to stimulate curiosity.
- Engaging in conversations with the child.
In reality, the most important thing is to care, pay attention to, and accompany the child.