Your Child's Path To Critical Thinking And Reasoning Skills

Proactive child development is sine qua non for global peace, security and progress. As a matter of fact, proper parenting is not an easy task, but it must be done. Child development experts said that over 75% of children's bad behaviours are traceable to poor parenting and broken homes. Factors such as child's personal temperament, mental health conditions, environmental conditions, poverty and a litany of other family dynamics play pivotal roles in child's development. Parents' lifestyles can influence their children's development either positively or negatively. In this edition, we are going to take a look at child's path to critical thinking and reasoning. What is critical thinking and reasoning? It is the ability to compare and contrast, weigh, dissect, interprete, evaluate, and analyze facts and information that are available, to form a judgment or decide whether something is right or wrong, good or evil. In the hospitals, courts of law, and building construction sites, doctors, lawyers and judges, and civil engineers apply critical thinking and reasoning to decide what to do. At the preschools, thinking and reasoning skills are used to understand cause and effect, explain why things happened, and test the children's ability to give ideas and answers to issues of life. Children develop thinking and reasoning skills between five and nine years of age. If you want your child to succeed in school, teach him/ her critical thinking and reasoning skills. If you want your child to acquire managerial ability and expertise to run the family business successfully, teach him/ her critical thinking and reasoning. The knowledge of critical thinking and reasoning is by far higher than the knowledge of Mathematics and Sciences. The knowledge of philosophy is north a thousand trips to the moon! Don't doubt me! Philosophy teaches ideals, values, morals, good mannerisms, tolerance to enemies, transparency and good governance etc. Without philosophy, the ancient Greek and Roman Empires would not have succeeded in ruling the world for centuries. People are not only ruled and controlled by military might. You can conquer a nation or nations by military prowess but you cannot rule them the same way. Wars are not often won by the swords but by mental ability! Ruling the subjects with highhandedness, cruelty and neglect makes them to rebel ceaselessly because the owl must herald the presence of a puma. The owl cries out once it sees a puma. The meaning is that oppression causes agitation and desire for sovereignty freedom. The ability of any ruler to suppress each rebellion does not guarantee that rebellion will end. What I mean is that, when the subjects or citizens of a country are ruled with a high degree of cruelty, they must rebel. Consistent rebellion will lead to freedom! After the fall of the Greeco-Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great, the Roman Empire took over and invited many Greek philosophers to Rome and employed them. Most Greeks settled in Southern Italy and Sicily. The Greek philosophers were heavily paid, loved, well treated and respected by the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire knew too well that she couldn't do much without the sound knowledge of Greek philosophy. The Greek philosophers were paid to teach the Romans philosophy, critical thinking and reasoning skills. Most philosophy adopted by the Roman Empire was based largely on Greek philosophy. The first educated Romans learnt and spoke Greek Language very fluently. That was why most Roman Empire's culture was firmly built upon the remnant of Greek civilization. Politically, the Roman Empire politicians were influenced by the ideas and behaviours of their Greek counterparts. For example, Cicero was inspired by Plato. In the ancient empires and kingdoms of the world, the children of kings and emperors were brought up by world-class philosophers. Why? It was a way of preparing them ahead for the challenges involved in rulership. For example, Alexander the Great was brought up and taught by Aristotle, one of the greatest pholosophers that ever lived. Under Aristotle's tutelage, he learnt a conquering mentality which unarguably disemminated the Hellenistic culture beyond Thrace and Thebe and other parts of the world. He learnt philosophy, ideals, morals, values, arts, swimming, and others. Alexander the Great's military expertise was per excellent. He was so highly skilled in swimming that he loved to have his battles near rivers. He was trained not to love much food, wine, women, and pride. He was known as one of the most disciplined and humble kings of the world. He was not cruel and arrogant like most of his contemporaries. He was so humble and loving that he always wore the traditional attires of any nation or region that he conquered. He did not appoint new rulers to any defeated country. Each country that he conquered was still ruled by the same king on the throne when it was conquered. By so doing, there was no room for rebellion since he did not oppress or task them heavily. Alexander the Great was so humble and wise that he adopted the attitude of secretly visiting his soldiers unexpectedly. He used to visit all categories of his army even to the least one. He was not a lover of money and wealth because of the philosophical trainings which he underwent under Aristotle, his master. If the study of philosophy, critical thinking and reasoning was not central in the governance of ancient empires, the Roman Empire would not have fallen back to the Greek philosophy and cultures for her growth and survival. Therefore, it is imperative that parents teach their children philosophy, critical thinking and reasoning skills, so that they won't delve into bribery and corruption and stealing of Government's funds for their selfish aggrandizement in future. Kindly share with your friends and loved ones.