“A parent is their child’s first teachers and should remain their best teachers throughout life.”
On 1st June every year, the world celebrates parents and the sacrifices, time, patience and care they spend to raise their children and keep harmony in the families.
Parents are the primary nurturers of their offspring and this makes children their first priority. For the full development of their personalities and to be equipped with the skills needed for a wholesome life, children need to grow up in a family environment that has an atmosphere of happiness and understanding. It is up to the parents to make this a reality.
It is not an easy task, as parenting comes in all forms. In the traditional family set up, both mother and father share the parenting responsibilities, with the father usually teaching the boy’s life skills and the mother guiding the girls on the same. Death, divorce, neglect or choice could result in single parenthood though, meaning all decisions pertaining to raising the child/ren falls on one parent. Some parents adopt their children, while others become parents by default, usually after their own parents die and they are left to raise their siblings.
In every case, the primary role of a parent is provision of encouragement, support and access to activities that enable the child to master key developmental tasks. According to Diana Baumrind, a clinical and developmental psychologist, there are four types of parenting:
- Authoritarian Parenting– characterised by strict discipline style and frequent punishment;
- Permissive parenting– parenting with limited rules, open communication and children often figuring out problems on their own;
- Uninvolved Parenting– there’s no particular style of discipline utilized, communication is limited and children do whatever they want to do, whenever they want;
- Authoritative Parenting– disciplinary rules are clear and reasons behind them explained, clear expectations and goals are frequently communicated and parents tend to be nurturing and caring.
In the fast-paced and ever evolving world that we live in, parenting can be a complicated and challenging affair. More parents have to go to jobs leaving the children with hired help for most of the day, thereby missing out on being with them full time. It is almost impossible to stick to a particular parenting style and we often have to mix and match to suit the current state of the family, environment and world in general. There is a saying that goes, “It takes a village to raise a child.” Let’s normalize asking for help from other successful parents, attending parenting talks and admitting the challenges we are facing as parents. Because the future of the world is literally in our hands.
Transolution Services in collaboration with Emmanuella Aboa hold monthly talks entitled ‘Parenting in the 21st Century’ in order to guide and equip parents with the skills to raise their children and teenagers in the 21st century, in a Godly manner. Every month is a new topic suggested by the parents. We also offer family counselling and parental guidance. #transolutionservices #trainingwithtransolution #globaldayofparents