When parents fight…
It is necessary for the father and mother to know that their children are directly affected by the general atmosphere of the household, by every word they speak, or any behavior they lead. Therefore, they ought to find appropriate solutions to overcome their differences and neutralize their negative effects on their children, as well as ensure their healthy development.
The father is responsible for instilling righteous and social values in the personality of his child, so the child would become a good citizen in society and a role model for others to follow, while the mother is responsible for keeping the house calm and raising the child in a positive way, making him a confident person who addresses the problems he faces.
A story suitable for children… about the fighting between parents
“Shijar al-Ashjar (i.e. Quarrel of the Trees” – the Lebanese publishing house Dar al-Fikr and Dar al-Nadim for the Lebanese writer D. Antoine M. Shartouny, a specialist in mental illness and psychoanalysis, and lecturer at the Lebanese University, Department of Psychology, is one of the realistic novels with excellence: It is inspired by the problems that any child could face. It carries the child on the wings of imagination and helps him overcome his possible concerns due to problems at home. In fact, the writer addressed many issues while writing the novel. On top of the list: The problematic, psycho-social, is distinct by a hero with a positive personality, on whom the child can easily project positively. As for tackling the problematic of the novel, it was adequate for children through simple sentences and warm words that go directly into the children’s hearts.
Moreover, this novel responds directly to the children’s requirements facing or not family problems, and is also suitable for the psycho-social impact, and for teaching the child how to cope with family problems in a simple and sensitive way. Thus, many psychotherapists, analytical therapists, psycho-specialists and social workers read this story to their young patients, as a basis before beginning the treatment or the counseling. Dr. Antoine Shartouny adds that “the features of this story are helping the child’s imagination to grow, with its thoughts and guidance suitable for the fertile imagination of the child.”
IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) nominated D. Antoine M. Shartouny, for the category of “Text” for the year 2018: “Shijar al-Ashjar” was nominated. Shartouny noted that “every home can go through some problems. It’s important to be vigilant with our children by keeping them away from our problems. This is what the hero in my story “Shijar al-Ashjar” did, knowing how to face his family’s problems and who to ask for help from.
“Shijar al-Ashjar” will be shared in many children’s literature festivals and will participate in the “Text” category in August 2018, as part of the IBBY celebration in Greece.