Discovery Parenting

First of all, some mathematical information for all parents, it applies anywhere in the world. It is a known fact, that in the conception to age five group, 85% of their character is formed, This leaves school and the rest of their lives to form the other 15%. Here are the maths, 85% in five years, then 15 % in ten years of school, means that insofar as ‘character is concerned, the first five years are TEN TIMES more important than school.

This TEN TIMES does not apply to the child's tummy, it applies to its brain. No child needs a ten times helping of porridge, but ten times of 'brain food' is a proper serving.
They are too young to bang their spoon on the high chair, and demand you read the Lanterrn County Stories, the Bible, or War and Peace. My son, at four months, rested in my arms as I pointed out the flaws in Jim Callaghan's budget. He listened more attentively than any politician! Parents must 'discover' what suits their child, and encourage their imagination and creativity. Isaac, of rich parents, had many birthday presents, but made a train of the cartons, chuff chuff chuff! Creating the desire to learn is the key, and the Happy Acorn Club illustrates this with a picture of the 'Education and Learning' key.

Therefore it is my pleasure to introduce the Lantern County concept of ‘discovery parenting’. The stories and illustrations give both child and parents the encouragement to help ‘Little Acorn’ children grow into ‘Mighty Oak’ people’. Jane Rendall believes we should all read children’s books, to engage and share our emotions, for without them the ability to love may be lost. I was delighted that a newly engaged couple assured me they would prepare themselves for having children, by reading all my stories. Lantern County is like Aladdin’s Cave, where treasures of the mind sparkle with the joy of life, and this can be shared by families across the world.

Every child, no matter how humble its origins, has a part to play in the continuous creation of life on planet Earth, and every baby needs encouragement. Humans are born with a soul, a natural ‘life force’, which grows in the mind as our bodies grow in size. Although invisible, and cannot be scientifically proved, it is the source from which our emotions flow and grow. It is the fount of our imagination, and creativity, which influences our lives, especially the human qualities, and crucially the ability to love. Helping this age group to grow into ‘happy little souls, is the deep pleasure of good parenting.

A well cared for physical life, surrounded by care and affection, with encouragement to dream, imagine, and invent, is the essence of good parenting. Little children open all five of their senses to soak up all around them, what better way to welcome them home from the maternity ward, than placing the Lantern Gallery on their bedroom wall? These pictures introduce eleven new and interesting friends to both the child and parents. From their earliest days, they provide a comfortable permanence providing a shared interest and valuable bonding. The stories and games relate to the pictures, and in under six months they can be playing the Vowels Owls sorting game. As toddlers, they can sing the ‘Three R’s song and do the star jump dance, and all of these activities can be shared with parents, friends and family.

The characters in the stories are drawn from across the species, animals, birds, insects, a solitary toad, all live in friendship and harmony, helping each other, and enjoying life. President Fox, seeks out ways to help his varied tenants, and is always on the look out to provide some joyful moments for any or all of them. Lord Grit, the patron and benefactor, loves them all. Dreams are of great importance, and these are sent down by the ‘Man in the Moon’, with dream dust coming from all over the universe. The colour in book ‘Moon Dust and Grit’ is now an animated story on YouTube. This is narrated by Lord Grit, who’s well aware that ‘dreams and courage’, with a blend of mum and dad plus their own x factor, help little children build their own lives. These stories are not just any old stories, they are ‘Lantern County’ stories.

All children are invited to be members of the ‘Happy Acorn Club, and the ‘Membership Certificate’ states, “babies are just the same as grown ups, but smaller”. The objective is to ‘help our Little Acorn Children, grow into Mighty Oak people’. In any home where English is spoken, their children will know the vowels by age three, and be able to read, possibly write by age five; and this comes naturally by sharing the growing up process with the new arrival.

All children need a hero, maybe an imaginary friend to talk to, and share the dreams in their imagination. I created Winston Grit, Sir Wniston Grit, and now Lord Grit, described by a dear friend as “Mickey Mouse with gravitas” In recognition of this, I gave Lord Grit the catchphrase “This is serious”, and life’s problems certainly are”! However, with dreams being sent down by the Man in the Moon, and then mixed with the Grit from his Lordships grit mines, every child, from Burnley to Botswana, now has a hero.

And this ‘Hero’ is benign, and loves all his ‘Human Masters’ unconditionally.

The Academy of Medical Sciences are concerned at the “betrayal of the conception to age five group’. They ask the government to act, but I believe any apparent intervention could be seen as unwelcome, and harm the child. Help has to be subtle and unobtrusive, perhaps it would be of benefit if the Academy publicly supported the objectives of Lantern County.

In the past sixty years, there have been many changes in the life of the 0 - 5 age group, and the biggest single change was that by the sixties mother’s wanted to go out to work. Then came widespread t/v, and babies in their thousands were sat in front of the television. More recently came the mobile phones, and Mum’s walk down the street talking into their phones, often ignoring baby. A seemingly intelligent couple take their two kids to lunch, and the parents are on their laptops, daughter on her i-pad, and the infant on some other gadget; not a word is said. We are now faced with AI, which will introduce yet more electronics, decreasing the desire to learn. With no store of knowledge in their minds, it could be a major cause of ADHD. [Perhaps AI research should be carried out under strict supervision, far greater security than the laboratory in Wuhan?]

We have to take more notice of what we are doing, because we humans are indeed “betraying the conception to age five group”. We are denying them their freedom of will, and allowing electronic gadgetry and games to smother their natural emotions, imagination, and creativity. Parents, priests, and advertisers, should not try to ‘brainwash’ babies. it is their newness and freshness of thought, that is the fountain of diversity and beauty of our lives on this glorious planet.

The downside of the ‘gift’ of ‘freedom of will’, is that the human animal can change how we live. and introduce harmful changes in the lives of our offspring. Babies have no voice, and begin life as totally dependent on us, which sadly makes many people feel they are of less importance. Nothing could be further from the truth, new life is essential to the progress of our civilisation, increasingly desperate for new ideas.

Many children are accidentally harmed by their parents, and favouritism, criticism, jeers, and unfair comparisons should be avoided. In addition, the child’s environment and ‘social group’ often stunts creativity. The combination of careless parenting and bad influences, can be an insurmountable barrier to a better life. [A lout bounced his new baby boy on his lap, “We hate the ‘Old Bill’ don’t we Tommy”. Forty years later, ‘Tommy’ has served three lengthy prison terms for GB H]

These issues can only be resolved by providing some widely accepted agent of change in the child’s home, something all the family can enjoy. I believe the Lantern Gallery on a child’s bedroom wall encourages curiosity, imagination, and creativity, which opens the doors to life. Children will identify with the simplicity of the stories and illustrations The friendship and love between the characters, sets human standards and ethical values as being natural in all humans. There is a great need for better worldwide communication, people of the world want peace. It begins with a change of attitudes, and to quote Lord Grit, “this is serious”. We need to level up.

In these tracts I unashamedly promote my own products, I created them from a love of humanity which came from living my life, and the glorious people I have met. I love them all, and consider it a privilege to have met them.

Sincerely

Frederick C Webb

Enc, Lord Grit, Membership Certificate, Lantern Gallery pic. See more on www.lanterncounty.com