| The 26th President of the United States, Theodore | | | | educated. Mothers are always willing to contribute |
| Roosevelt stated: "It is the tasks connected with the | | | | towards better parenting. They should work hard to |
| home that are the fundamental tasks of humanity ... if | | | | educate themselves. The efforts of mothers have |
| the mother does not do her duty, there will either be no | | | | been greatly rewarded as many mothers who make |
| next generation, or a next generation that is worse | | | | real effort to educate themselves are meeting the |
| than none at all." The role of a mother in a family | | | | challenge as teachers. |
| involves far more than just giving birth to children. The | | | | 2. Mothers as Disciplinarians |
| mother is the principal disciplinarian and teacher | | | | Mothers have a great deal to do with their children |
| because she spends more time with the children each | | | | upbringing because their fathers have to leave home |
| day than the father. | | | | to find work, have abandoned them or have died. |
| What roles do mothers play towards better parenting? | | | | Despite the challenges mothers have to do their |
| 1. Mothers as Teachers | | | | utmost for effective training of the children. |
| During the first three years of life mothers play the | | | | In March 8, 2003, then UN Secretary-General, Kofi |
| significant role of teaching the children. During these | | | | Annan said: "Study after study has shown that there is |
| early years of life children are largely under their | | | | no effective development strategy in which women |
| mothers' care. It is during these early years of life that | | | | do not play a central role. When women are fully |
| mothers with the support of their mates teach and | | | | involved, the benefits can be seen immediately: families |
| show the children love which lays the foundation of a | | | | are healthier and better fed: their income, savings and |
| united family. The challenge is that a greater number of | | | | reinvestment go up." |
| mothers now work secularly to help support the family. | | | | It is true that women play significant roles towards |
| Also in some countries many mothers are not | | | | better parenting. |