How to behave with children?

Questioner: The power of love is greater than the power of authority, right?

Dadashri: Yes, but you can only love when all your other weaknesses go away. Children have good hearts. You should be kind to them. You can interfere with those who have a lot of intellect but not with those who are sincere and hearty.

When you plant something you have to nurture it and care for it. You cannot keep yelling at it and demand that it better bring forth big flowers. When even a rosebush thrives with love, what about humans? But these parents beat and abuse their own children!

The world always improves through love. There is no other solution for it. If it could improve through fear, intimidation and repression, then these governments would get rid of democracy and imprison whoever breaks the law and hang him.

Questioner: Sometimes even when we explain with love, he still does not understand.

Dadashri: Then in that situation what else would you do, attack and hurt him?

Questioner: I do not know, what should I do?

Dadashri: If you attack and hurt him, he will react in the same manner. That is how fighting starts. One's life becomes full of conflicts.

Questioner: But how can we stay calm in such situations? I do not know what to do when that happens. What should I do when he does not understand our love?

Dadashri: What can you do? You just have to keep calm. What else can you do to him? Would you hit him instead?

Questioner: But we have not reached the level where we can remain calm and composed.

Dadashri: Then what else will you do? Jump up and down if you want to! Why do you remain calm when a police officer confronts you?

Questioner: Police officers have authority.

Dadashri: Then you should behave in the same way with your children. Let them have the 'authority' over you. If you remain calm with a police officer, why can you not do the same with your children?