In bringing up children, every parent watches eagerly the child’s acquisition (习得) of each new skill--the first spoken words, the first (36) steps, or the beginning of reading and writing. It is often tempting to hurry the child beyond his (37) learning rate, but this can set up erous feelings of (38) and states of worry in the child. This might happen at any stage. A baby might be forced to use a (39) too early, a young child might be (40) to learn to read before he knows the meaning of the words he reads. On the other hand, though, if a child is left alone too much, or without any learning (41) , he loses his natural (42) for life and his desire to find out new things for himself. Parents (43) greatly in their degree of strictness towards their children. (44) . Others are severe over times of coming home at night or punctuality for meals. In general, the controls imposed represent the needs of the parents and the values of the community as much as the child’s own happiness. As regards the development of moral standards in the growing child, consistency is very important in parental teaching. (45) Also, parents should realize that "example is better than precept." If they are not sincere and do not practice what they preach (说教), their children may grow confused, and emotionally insecure when they grow old enough to think for themselves, and realize they have been to some extent fooled. (46) .