Understanding role of parents in providing value-based education to children
The need for value-based education is now more acute than ever before. Today, children are more vulnerable to the negative aspects of the most advanced technology. We hence need to understand the vital role of parents who need to chip in and provide the best value-based education to their children. Some ideas in this direction are sought to be discussed in this article.
Introduction
Values are defined as an individual's own set of principles that they consider of great importance. For example, if an individual is always punctual, he values punctuality, as others would automatically know that he gives maximum importance to punctuality. If a person is very honest, it obviously means that he values honesty to the greatest extent. Punctuality and honesty then become the most cherished values of the person. There are many values and those who live by such values are always respected and acknowledged by society. In fact, society longs to see honest and sincere individuals.
We need to understand that our children pick up values only from us. If we ourselves watch television, particularly family dramas or the Test Cricket matches the whole day or even the T20 matches, it goes without saying that we have no moral right to condemn any child who does the same. For, our children pick up both the negative and positive values only from us. It should be remembered that even if they spend a maximum of eight hours at school, which would also include their travel, the rest of the sixteen hours is spent only with parents. The child grows up with parents acting as role models. Hence, any good behavior is always picked up by the child.
It is vital in this connection to a) Walk the talk b) Communicate regularly with children c) Look for the company they keep d) Have a control over their use of electronic devices and e) Always tell them good stories when they are young. Walk the talk
As already mentioned, the parents need to demonstrate their values. A father can easily inculcate good values. For example, he can pick up a few samplings and ask the five-year-old child to plant it, water it and nurse it. The child automatically picks up a taste for gardening and would come back to the father with further questions and guidance. A girl can be made to look at the world with an open mind. She needs guidance on what is called the "good touch and the bad touch" right from the age of six. Either parent should also stay within their family boundaries and demonstrate true love and affection for each other. If they go astray or develop any extra-marital relationship, the children pick up all the wrong cues and become totally frustrated. Communicate regularly with children
It is vital to spend thirty minutes over dinner with children. Parents should never attend to any cell phone conversations during this period. It is always essential that they stay glued to whatever their children talk about. Parents who act as friends, philosophers, and guides are always respected. This becomes even more vital when they become teenagers. It is at this age that children get attracted to the opposite sex. A shocking report of a girl, with a booze bottle in her hand, talking about her love failure and virtually weeping on the road, was reported some three years ago. It was even more shocking that the child was studying in only the seventh standard. This was shown extensively on television, in all the channels and it invited a big discussion on the role of parents in particular.
This happens primarily due to a lack of parental love and affection. When parents regularly communicate with their children, there are a few chances of the children going astray. Such children will always be glued to the realities around them and would study well. Children need to be constantly reminded that when they grow up, they need to become professionals after a good education. Children always listen to sane advice. Communication with children becomes so vital at all times. Look for the company they keep
When children rub shoulders with good friends who always study well when they receive good feedback and guidance from good friends, there is nothing that will stop them from going. It is impossible to change anyone in society, and we do come across maladjusted children who are totally misguided by the worst of bad habits. It should be ensured that our children do not fall into such dangerous traps.
Today, the lure of good living and enjoying life has caught up with urban children in rich schools. They often turn to drugs for a "kick". Since these costly schools are always populated with children from high net worth backgrounds, where the parents are either busy professionals or business people, they have hardly any time for their children. The servant maids do the parenting and this makes the situation worse. There have been some rare instances where such servant maids, mostly employed on a full-time basis, have molded such children to reach the greatest heights. However, such instances are quite rare.
The parents in such cases need to really give maximum importance to communication with children. They need to demonstrate good values as well. Have control over their use of electronic devices
Never fall prey to advanced electronic devices like smartphones. When parents demonstrate good behavior, the children will automatically follow. When parents are good, the children will also be good. However, in every household, parents need to constantly watch their children, particularly in what they do with social media.
There have been so many dangerous stories of "love" when a girl was attracted to some anti-social element through Facebook, and then her entire life was totally ruined. We need to understand that if the children are not up to the mark and if the children do not do well in their studies, they need extra coaching to stay on track. It is often observed that such children fall into this trap. Hence, parents need to exercise control over what their children do on social media platforms and with their cell phones. Always tell them good stories when they are young
Countless stories are told on how the best children, with the best of values, went on to become celebrities, based on the best of lessons from epics such as Ramayana and the Mahabharata. A five-year-old who understands what Mother Teresa did in India, will naturally develop empathy towards the poor as a good value. He or she will naturally open up with the poor and also appreciate their suffering. Conclusion
Certain ideas, largely based on experience, and with a big focus on the role of parents on vital parameters of social life, have been discussed in some detail in the aforesaid paragraphs. The implications for value-based education need to be properly understood by every parent and then implemented as well, at all times.
A good article from the author.
The role of parents is very important for the right progress of their children. That is why our culture always considers parents and teachers as Gods whom we can see. They are the visible Gods. We all believe that a God will never do anything wrong or whatever he did is correct. In the same way children feel that their parents will never do any mistake and whatever they do should be practiced by them also. This makes the role of parents very critical.
If the parents spend a lot of time on electronic gadgets, their children will also do the same. Even when parents tell them not to hang on these devices, they never care. So parents should be away from such appliances at least when they are with their children. A parent should give sufficient time to the children and see that they enjoy. Parents should take care of their children and see that they will not get attracted to bad habits and waste their time.
Parents should teach their children from their early age itself through various stories about the importance of values and virtues in their life. That will make them understand the importance of values and virtues and try to follow them. Don't preach but practice and then preach should be the approach of parents.