Six ways to good parenting

THE EDITOR: I compliment the Minister of Education for her letters to parents of students in the new year. These letters come nearest to the National Parenting Programme we absolutely need. To fight crime, to promote education, the first thing is to help parents do a great job of parenting. We blame parents for crime, poor manners, poor values in the country. There are so many unhealthy local and foreign influences that even the best parents need a tip or two sometimes. Fortunately, some groups run programmes on parenting philosophy and skills. We must thank them, but they do not reach most parents.

Among other things, parents need to : 1) Read to their children as early as possible; some do so before their birth. Get reading “into their blood,” make it a regular everyday activity like eating and playing — then school will be no problem. After all, school is chiefly about reading, writing and discussing. Besides, children who read fill their time with pleasurable activity; the devil will not find their hands idle. 2) Make the “Golden Rule” the daily rule of child and home — “Do to others as you would like them to do to you.” Then crime is dead. This should continue in school from Infant Department to Form VI and beyond. 3) Answer the children’s questions (they are not pestering you but building knowledge and the ability to learn and think); encourage them. More and more, self-employment and jobs require curiosity, initiative, the ability to explore, discover and communicate. 4)Teach and encourage children to save and invest. No amount is too small to save, even if 10 or 25 cents is all they can afford for the month.
The habit and the attitude are important. Schools can mature the process by establishing savings clubs, junior co-operatives and investment clubs even if they use mock money for investing. Poverty will be dead for them. 5) For any age group, never compare their children with any other person to their advantage. This comparison doesn’t work; they hate themselves, the “model of perfection” and the parents. 6) Remember that even more important than their children’s studies and careers is the kind of persons they are becoming as well as the love and care parents show them. What’s the point in being scholarship winners and “big shot executives” if they are abusers, murderers, swindlers or scamps. Help them to be better people.

I hope the Minister’s letter will be copied to each principal who will despatch copies to the parents. May I also suggest to the Honourable Minister that, at least once a term, similar letters be sent to all parents. These would cover things like self-esteem; relationship with children, training without licks; dealing with first child, second child, only child, etc; mediation and problem solving; home chores; developing responsibility among the children; showing them love, etc. The family will benefit, the community and the nation.

VAN STEWART
Diego Martin