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Show Dear JOHNT by John Watcrbury Questions or commend regarding alcoholism, drug abuse, or the related life-problems may be sent to. 36 South State Street, 21st floor, Salt Lake City, L'lah 841 1 1. These letters form the basis of the "Dear John" column. Dear John I found the following information in a list written by W. Clement Stone. It helps to clarify the relationships between what parents do to their kids while raising them, and what they end up with. I don't think parents understand this. I guess 1 didn't until it was too late. Signed, Older, Wiser and Lamented How to Raise a Juvenile Delinquent 1. Give the child everything he wants. This teaches him that the world owes him a living. 2. Pick-up everything he leaves lying around. This teaches lack of responsibility. 3. Never say anything is wrong. It may develop a guilt complex. com-plex. 4. When he picks-up bad words, laugh at him. It will encourage encour-age even cuter phrases. 5. Never give any formal spiritual training. Let him wait until he is 21 to decide for himself. 6. Sterilize his silverware, but let his mind feed on printed and T.V. garbage. 7. Quarrel frequently with spouse in front of the child. This teaches him to be good at it when he gets married. 8. Give your child all the money he wants. Don't make him earn it. 9. Satisfy all his cravings and desires. Denial may lead to harmful frustration. 10. Don't teach him to respect himself or the rights of others. 1 1 . Don't teach him how to have the courage to say no when tempted by his peers to do wrong. 1 2. Don't take the time to meet his friends or to check on those who influence him to do what they do. 13. Be too busy to take time to listen when he has something important to say. 14. When he gets into trouble, apologize for yourself by saying I never could do anything with him. 1 5 . Prepare yourself for a life of grief because you'll have it. Dear O.W.L.: They say that experience is the best teacher, but only a fool learns only from his own experiences. Someone else said that we need to learn from the mistakes of others because we aren't going to live long enough to make all the mistakes ourselves. With these in mind, the fifteen steps are a gold mine of mistakes. |