A good dad is better than a rich dad

Chapter 20 5 Role Models of the Orthodox Father: The Washington Fathers
The first Chapter 35 The model of the orthodox father: the father of Washington
Maneuverability: ★★ Difficulty factor: ★★★★ Keywords: moderate
George Washington, the first president of the United States, was born in Virginia in 1.He has never received a university education in his life, but he pays great attention to self-study and has outstanding talents.He worked as a land surveyor in his early years, started his military career at the age of 1732, and was appointed commander-in-chief of the Virginia Army at the age of 20, accumulating rich experience in military command.So, when the American Revolutionary War began, he was elected commander in chief of the Continental Army.He commanded the North American militia and the British army to fight bravely and finally won the victory.

In 1789, the United States of America was established, and Washington was elected as the first president. In 1, he was re-elected.

After Washington took office, the new country faced constant internal and external troubles. He adopted decisive political and economic policies, which not only eased the contradictions, but also recruited a large number of talents, such as Jefferson, Adams, Hamilton, and Madison. The intellect of each.After the expiration of his second term, Washington firmly stated that he would no longer be ordered, setting a model of personality that is not obsessed with power and honor.After retiring, he managed the estate left by his father until his death in 1799.

Throughout Washington's life, future generations all admire him greatly.Being such a politician's father must be stressful, but in fact he is not just an ordinary person, he just does better than us in some small things.

When Washington was young, he wrote a booklet about the rules of etiquette according to his father's education. The title of the book was "Rules of Conduct for People".Although the content is too detailed and trivial, and even a bit naive and ridiculous, it shows that he has paid great attention to shaping his own image consciously since then, and has begun to develop excellent qualities such as politeness, respect for others, and strict self-discipline.These guidelines include the following:

Do not condemn, reprimand or curse others.

Every action in social interaction must show respect for the other party.

Don't point your finger at the person you're talking about while talking, and don't get too close to the person you're talking to.

When there is a disagreement, don't use strong words to reason, but state your views with humility.

Do not inquire about other people's affairs, and avoid private conversations with others.

From the content of this pamphlet, we can see that Washington has always paid attention to etiquette and strict self-discipline. His ability to write such rules is also inseparable from his family education.

Washington's mother taught him to be courteous and courteous to everyone since he was a child, and the power of his parents' example also made Washington deeply understand the significance of this code of conduct.Perhaps this is the impetus that prompted him to write the "Code of Conduct for Treating People".

Although he was "preoccupied" on such trivial matters, one of Washington's most famous stories, "The Cherry Tree Incident", reflected his father's magnanimous style of handling affairs at that time.

Washington's father was still alive at the time, and Washington himself was still very young.One day, he took an ax and cut down his father's favorite cherry tree, just to see what was in it, worthy of his father's love.When Dad came back and saw the broken branches and leaves, he was very distressed.He asked who did it, and Little Washington came out timidly and said, "It was me."Seeing his son taking responsibility so bravely, his father stopped punishing him.

But many fathers still fight after their children admit their mistakes. In fact, isn’t the bottom line of strict requirements for children to grasp the principles of morality?Judging from Washington's future performance, one mistake in cutting down a cherry tree did not make him a very destructive child. On the contrary, he knew how to restrain himself.Dad gave up the opportunity to punish him, in fact, he wanted him to educate himself and understand the moral bottom line of being a human being.

Washington also has a "father", that is, his half-brother Lawrence.Lawrence is a member of the House of Representatives and the local military deputy chief with the rank of major.When Washington was about seven or eight years old, Lawrence came back from England. He loved his younger brother Washington very much and often took Washington to live in his manor.Lawrence's personality and surrounding environment gave Washington a good education.There is a 14-year age difference between them, which is one reason why the two of them bond.Lawrence admired Washington's intelligence and integrity.Washington regards his manly and educated brother as a model worthy of his own study in terms of learning and manners.

Bereaved in infancy, the young Washington and his half-siblings were all under the custody of their mother, who held their dues until they came of age, and his mother lived up to the trust.She understands things well, handles affairs very seriously, and can make quick decisions, manages the family very strictly, but is also very kind.She asked her sons to respect her and at the same time win their affection.Washington was her eldest son, and it was said that she liked him the most, but she never gave him special treatment that he didn't deserve.Washington absolutely revered her from boyhood until the time of her death.His quick temper and dignified air were left to him by her, but her early lessons also taught him that he must control his temper, treat others equally, be strict with himself, and be courteous.

Washington's father is like a vague figure, appearing behind Washington's successful life. He is like our most popular father, teaching his son orthodox, but very low-key, usually showing the following laws:

1. Be particularly strict in major matters.If it is a question that violates the moral principles, Dad will punish him severely.For example, stealing a neighbor's flowerpot, lying to the teacher, etc., the father will come out to uphold justice, and let the child be very careful about some issues involving the moral bottom line, and he has to be careful.

2. Be more relaxed in small things.Just like when Little Washington cut down the cherry tree, he did not lie in front of his father, but voluntarily admitted his mistake.So the father is lenient, not only giving "small favors" to the child, but also encouraging the child to deal with the problem correctly.

Sometimes, it seems that fathers always encounter some small things, so it is more difficult to grasp the proportion.Crackdown or amnesty, this needs to be measured by Dad according to his own training goals.If what you want to cultivate is a violinist, he must be qualified but always not working hard. Although he does not touch the bottom line of morality, he still needs to be severely punished by his father.

(End of this chapter)