Honestly, since my daughter was born, I have thought a lot about how to raise a child. I once
heard a story that told about when a baby was born. The story said that when a baby was born,
a new master was born. The parents of that baby would become the servants. The question is:
Why? Based on my observation, this phenomenon is true. Most parents who don"t pay much
attention to their kids have difficulties with their kids" attitude.
I"ll make a comparison of how two families raise their children. The first one is a family with
three children. Both mother and father never say "No" to their children"s demands. As a result,
all of their children became stubborn and won"t listen to their parents" words, "We can"t."
The second family educated their children strictly from one year old to high school. The parents
never approved or agreed directly to give their children what they wanted. They always postponed
one or two days, even if they could afford it. Due to the way their parents educated them, these
children understood that if they wanted something, they had to wait or they had to make an effort first.
As a result, all the kids from the second family successfully graduated from university on time.
In my opinion, if we want to be successful parents and raise our children well, we have to start
disciplining them when they are toddlers but not wait until they become teenagers.
“Good night, Yammine.”“Good night, Chief.” I reply.The cell door 1 and I hear Chief’s
keys clinking as other doors clang shut further down the row. I step into my little cell and sit
down. I glance up at the window, covered in mesh (铁网),and think to myself, “This isn’t
a life, it’s just a(n) 2 .”Being 3 makes me feel as though I’m being buried alive. I am a
puppet (木偶) with people 4 strings so that I eat, sleep and wake when they want me to.
I lie on my bed as night 5 and think the same thoughts 6 . I think about how it all went so
wrong, and imagine how I will 7 for all the time I’ve lost.Every day I live the same routine
and nothing changes except the people. Prisoners depart for other prisons, or get 8 . Others
9 from different prisons, or fresh from custody (拘押). It’s a 10 revolving (旋转) door.
When I committed my 11 , I was a lost young boy, but now I am 12 . Walking around the
yard, I would notice my fellow prisoners reading books and writing letters to friends and family,
which upset me as my 13 at school was limited.I longed for the day when I’d be able to sit
in the sun, enjoying a cup of coffee and reading a newspaper or book 14 my choice. I also
longed to write letters to my friends and family, sharing my thoughts and feelings.I decided not to
waste my time inside and, 15 , make the most of all the resources available to me. I started to
learn and was 16 to realize my dream.Now, after five years’ persistence, heartache and hard
work, I have 17 my goal. Having 18 a course as a reading adviser, I can now help others to
read and write. And I have even started a creative writing workshop at Junee Correctional Centre.
Learning to read and write at a higher level has given me the inner strength to present myself in a
more 19 manner.And the day I’ve dreamed about has come true: I now enjoy my cup of coffee
with a book in my other hand. Learning to read and write has changed my life and this article is my
first piece of “proper” writing, and it won’t be my 20 .