A child's mind is like a freshly plowed field with rich top soil ready for planting. As a parent or guardian, you have the responsibility to decide what seeds will be planted in this field. If you plant nothing, all kinds of weeds will automatically begin to take root and grow. The seeds you plant will determine the crops you and your child will reap. So, why not plant good seed?
A Child's Guide to Wisdom was developed from my own personal experience with my twin daughters. The book offers fifty 'seeds of wisdom' and a simple system to plant them--so that a rich, bountiful, harvest of wisdom can result. These seeds or principles of wisdom are designed to build character and equip your youngster with knowledge and integrity that will endure a lifetime. The teaching method is simple; and begins from the time your child is able to speak. Initially, the definitions may seem a bit advanced, and may have little meaning or significance to the child, depending on his or her age when this process begins. However, by selecting one principle per week, and teaching the definition through the process of call and repeat, the definitions will come to life and will become clear to the child, particularly as the parent brings relevance to the principles by pointing-out real life examples. Like with any learning, repetition is key. I vividly recall how much my wife and I enjoyed so many moments of fun and laughter as we played games with our daughters while we taught them the principles introduced in this book. Throughout our travels and while watching television shows and movies with our girls, we engaged them in discussion and helped hone their skill in identifying what principle was at work or absent in any particular situation. Also, as mentioned in the book, we took full advantage of the opportunity to incorporate a compensation system that rewarded our girls for quoting the principles from memory and for pointing-out examples of the application of the principles in everyday life situations.
A Child's Guide to Wisdom can serve as an incomparable tool for parents in the personal development, instruction and correction of your youngsters. Along with giving the child encouragement, affirmation and praise for 'being wise', the fifty principles of wisdom presented in A Child's Guide to Wisdom can be a significant catalyst in helping your child form good habits, develop good decision-making skills, exhibit sound character traits and model good behavior--all key factors in nurturing a healthy, well-balanced, productive and responsible individual. But, the best part of the entire journey is to have conversations with our girls--now as adults, and hear the beautiful pearls of wisdom that proceed from their mouths!
About the Author: Rev. Everton (Tony) Robinson has worked over 40 years in church leadership as a minister, elder, worship leader and steward and has shared the principles of wisdom through his work with various church-based organizations. In addition, he has mentored a variety of spiritual leaders and has conducted marriage enrichment programs that have been instrumental in saving many marriages.
Rev. Robinson is the son of a minister, who spent most of his childhood in church, but left the church from his mid-teens to his mid-twenties, as many young people do. However, after coming to the realization that he needed a relationship with God, he began to study the bible earnestly and became fascinated with the concept of wisdom. He embraced wisdom, and decided to make it a way of life for himself, his wife, and his future children. Sometime later, he attended a business seminar in which he learned principles of success. He was inspired by the principles, and determined that he would pass wisdom onto his children through them. With the encouragement of his wife, Judith Jones-Robinson, he put together the 50 principles mentioned in this book.
Mr. Robinson is currently an Ordained Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, California; an Investment Advisor with FIT Planning Group; an entrepreneur in the E-Commerce business; a songwriter, and a family man, residing in Buena Park, California. He may be reached for personal appearances at trobinson1952@gmail.com.