The Healthy Ratio

Note the ratio of prohibitions to permissions in Eden: one prohibited thing to many, many good things, all good things are there for the enjoying.  This is the rule for healthy discipline from earthly fathers, too. The child’s universe must have in it a few prohibitions but the focus is on the panoply of good things, which the child sees as coming from the father.

The commonest reason for failing this rule is the father’s laziness.  It is much easier to say “no” than it is to say “look at this!”