Abdul Baha says that mothers should consider the education of their children very important. He explains that mothers should take care of their children like a gardener takes care of young plants.

A child is like a seed. A gardener cannot force a seed to grow. We can not make a child walk or talk before it is ready. A gardener gives the seed the things it needs to grow. Our job is to give our children the love, encouragement, food, housing, clothing, education, and spiritual training that help them to grow and develop.

Each child is special and different from every other child. Each child has his own time for learning things. Each child takes a different length of time to learn things well. For e.g, some children say their first words at one year. Some children do not talk very much until they are two or three. It is not good to compare one child to another, especially in front of the children. Mothers can best help their children by being patient and loving as each child grows in his way.

Thought for Reflection

Can we force a child to grow? Why or why not?

How do children develop differently? What practical examples are there?

How can we help our children grow and develop?

Children grow and develop little by little.

Abdul Baha says The seed does not at once become a tree, and the embryo(baby) does not at once become a man. They grow and develop gradually(little by little).

Children's bodies, minds, and souls grow and develop little by little. A baby's mind also develops slowly. The baby is gradually able to remember, speak, and learn. A child's soul grows through prayers and learning about God. Children are growing in many ways at the same time.

Thought for reflection:

How do children's bodies, minds, and souls grow?

Factors that aid in a child's body growth:

Good food is necessary for bodies to grow and be healthy. A baby must be well-fed during his first year when his body and mind are growing quickly. The best way to see if your child is growing well is to weigh him. Many clinics can weigh babies. They also have growth charts. A growth chart is a piece of paper that shows how much weight your baby has gained. The chart helps you to see if your baby is growing well. A health care worker can help you use and understand the chart.

The following thought for reflection are essential for parents:

1. Why do children need good food?

2. As for a growth chart at your clinic?

3. Have the health care worker started a growth chart for your baby or young child?

Abdul Baha says that a baby's body goes through different stages. This means that as his body grows things happen one after the other until he becomes an adult for example a babysits, then crawls, then walks.

All children pass through the same stages of physical development, but they may not always reach them at the same age. For example, some children may sit by themselves when they are 6 months and some may not do this until 9 months. Some children say their first words when they are 12 months and some do not start saying words until 18 months. Because a child does things early does not mean that he is more intelligent or better than a child who develops more slowly. It is important to have some idea of these physical stages and at what age children reached them. Then we can know what to expect. We can see if our children are growing properly.

The following are thought of reflection for the parents.

Do all children pass through the same stages of development.

Do all children reach these stages at the same age.

When did each of your children begin to walk and talk.