(Minghui.org) Probably one of the most discussed topics by parents is how to raise their children, especially if it was an only child growing up in a morally depraved society, like in China. I don’t seem to have that problem as a Falun Dafa practitioner.
My coworkers, while complaining about their children, would praise my son, “You can’t have too many sons like that.” When they ask how I did it, I would tell them that my husband and I are Falun Dafa practitioners and that the only thing we did to educate our son was to tell him to study the Dafa teachings and follow the principle of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance throughout his life.
My son was not healthy from the time he was born and often needed medical attention. Every day I had to worry about dressing him up or down, depending on the weather. At the same time I was also sickly, and the doctors could not help me. Seeing how troubled I was, a coworker talked me into practicing Falun Dafa.
When I took my son to my coworker’s home, she played videos of Master's teachings and the exercises. He told me that he saw the Falun on the book Zhuan Falun turning clockwise and then counterclockwise. It blew our minds because both my husband and I were raised as atheists. We understood that this book was not an ordinary book and thus regularly read it.
When my son was four years old, he studied Zhuan Falun with us. After he finished reading the book once, he knew all the Chinese characters and could read it on his own. My coworkers called him a child prodigy. I would always remind them that it was because he practiced Falun Dafa.
The boy recovered from his illnesses and became healthy. I no longer had to worry about how to dress him or him getting cold at night, nor did I have to worry when his classmates got sick.
He also became better at following directions than children of his age. One New Year’s Day when everyone was watching TV late at night, he ignored his father telling him to get ready for bed, as he was drawn to the television show. I whispered to him, “Didn’t Master tell us to be considerate? The adults have been busy during the day, so shouldn’t you let them rest early?” He immediately agreed to turn off the television.
His aunt thought that I was good with kids, but I told her that it was the Fa principles that made him act that way. My family members were very supportive of us practicing Falun Dafa.
My son was also kind to other kids. When they tried to rough him up, he did not get upset or cry.
One should study the Fa every day so that it becomes part of one's life. Although it takes time to study the Fa, it doesn’t affect my son’s performance at school. It was precisely because he persistently studied the Fa and sent righteous thoughts that he was able to focus in class. He always finished his homework on time, never got into trouble, and knew to stay away from society's negative influences.
From elementary school to high school, my son has always been a model student. The following are excerpts from his middle school student evaluation records.
“Your attitude is humble and cautious, your thoughts are pure as snow, you exhibit perseverance, your heart is open and deep as a valley, you are enthusiastic and brave.”
“Your heart is unpretentious and so true that it moves people. You quietly devote yourself to the class and work hard on your studies. As your teacher, I admire your courage to overcome problems and your attitude to perfect the things you do.”
“In your studies, you were not lost in your success and discouraged when you failed. I appreciate your persistence in studying.”
“Instead of cleverness, you were always humble and treated your classmates with warmth and forgiveness. You have not complained about anything. Do you know that your classmates respect you not for your outstanding grades, but your earnest attitude?”
My son got into the best high school in our city. He represented all of his six core classes when competing at the national level. He broke the school record by winning a first prize and two second prizes.
When his class stayed after school to study, my son always stayed and waited for the last student to leave before he turned all the lights off.
In his sophomore year his teacher recommended him as an outstanding student leader in the province. They found out that my son had not joined the Communist Youth League, so his head teacher talked to him about it. My son politely refused to join.
In his senior year, my son’s head teacher provided the opportunity to attend his first choice university without having to take the entrance exam. However, another teacher thought otherwise and gave the opportunity to another student. My son did not complain and let it go. He did very well in the entrance exam and was first in his class. He was accepted into his first choice university.
My son graduated with high marks after four years of college and got accepted into a Master’s program in a very good university in the U.S. He did not hire an agent to fill out his applications like others. He got accepted into five universities. He has graduated and works in a tech firm in the U.S.
My son’s life has been smooth during the past 20 some years, thanks to Falun Dafa. Our family has learned the purpose of life and walked on the path to return to our true nature. All this happened thanks to Master Li Hongzhi, the founder of Falun Dafa.
(Submission to “Celebrate World Falun Dafa Day” 2018 on the Minghui website)