| The most important learning for the child comes from | | | | belittle their ideas. |
| his family. Parents are his first teachers. The child | | | | Self-esteem is how the person feels and thinks about |
| learns about his world and how to be a good person | | | | himself. Feeling loved, valued, wanted and respected |
| from the very day he is born. His sense of self comes | | | | will make children feel good about who they are. |
| from how his parents treat him and respond to him. | | | | Parents can create such an environment for them to |
| Child experts often advise parents to tune in to their | | | | grow up in. Once your children are confident, they can |
| children from an early age. Children's self-esteem is | | | | try new things and explore their world. |
| nurtured early in life as they interact with their parents | | | | Parents must allow their children to make mistakes so |
| in a positive environment. When a child gets into | | | | that they can learn to cope and find out what they |
| trouble, parents often blame themselves for being too | | | | can do to succeed. Like a toddler learning to walk, he |
| lenient or too strict with him. Some parents even blame | | | | will fail many times before he achieves his goal. But |
| the child for being naughty or disobedient. | | | | once he manages to do what he sets out to do, he will |
| The truth of the matter is, children are the products of | | | | experience an overwhelming sense of pride. |
| either good parenting or bad parenting and not | | | | Many children feel unloved because they are scolded |
| because their parents are good or bad. When we | | | | or punished frequently. |
| make mistakes with our children, often times, we are | | | | The foundation of their relationship with their parents is |
| not aware of ways to manage our children correctly. | | | | built on fear and violence. While parents consider their |
| We can do a better job with our children when we | | | | acts of punishments as a form of discipline, their |
| understand the different stages of development. As | | | | children do not share this understanding. They cannot |
| children mature, parents need to manage their | | | | accept the fact that their parents inflict pain on them to |
| children's behaviour differently. You cannot talk to your | | | | teach them a lesson. |
| teenager as you did when he was six years old. Listen | | | | As children grow, parents must be prepared to allow |
| to what your child says and find ways to support his | | | | them to take charge of their behaviour. When parents |
| interests. | | | | respect their children for their sense of independence, |
| Communication plays a vital role in our daily interactions | | | | they will live up to parental expectations. |
| with family members. We need to understand what | | | | My five-year-old nephew once declared: "I have no |
| they hear and see, and be able to send messages in | | | | freedom. My parents make me do everything." He |
| ways that they can understand and accept. Children | | | | feels helpless when he is not allowed to do simple |
| need adults to guide them in choosing the right words | | | | tasks for himself or decide what he wants to do or |
| to express themselves. Teaching by example is the | | | | say. |
| most effective tool for parents. | | | | In today's competitive world, our children need to know |
| Many have found that their words fall on deaf ears | | | | that being different is acceptable. We do not want our |
| when they do not practise what they preach to their | | | | children to be carbon-copies. They can have their own |
| young ones. A mother of two school-going boys | | | | likes and dislikes. They should not feel the need to |
| remarked that today's teenagers are easily influenced | | | | submit to societal pressure to look the same and talk |
| by their peers. She feared for her children's welfare. | | | | the same way. Parents can show their children how to |
| She wondered how she can protect her sons from | | | | value different things that they learn from others. |
| negative influences. | | | | We live in a multicultural society. Parents' attitude can |
| Children tend to draw closer to their peers when their | | | | make a lot of difference in how their children regard |
| parents refuse to acknowledge them or listen to them. | | | | other people and accept their ways. Bring the various |
| Their peers, on the other hand, make them feel | | | | cultures into your children's lives through stories, songs |
| accepted and loved. They never question them or | | | | and food. |