Parenting for lifelong success

THERE IS no doubt that the task of parenting can be a very challenging one, especially so in this digital age where children can be easily influenced by forces external to the home owing to the amount of time children spend on social media.

Very often parents seek the advice and guidance of teachers in their quest to ensure that their children are not just successful in school, but emerge as productive, confident, emotionally secure adults who are deeply connected to themselves and the world around them.

Teachers are in turn challenged to guide parents owing to the complexity of the issue and their personal experiences and limitations.

Luckily, the literature is replete with parenting tips that teachers can share with parents who seek out such assistance. This summary is by no means exhaustive but might prove useful to many parents who have a genuine desire to ensure their children develop a sense of curiosity, a love of learning, and an emotional quotient that will enable them to triumph over societal challenges as they pursue their goals and aspirations.

At the end of the day schooling is about preparing children for a life that is unpredictable and rapidly evolving. It is incumbent on both parent and school to equip the child with the tools to face these challenges.

Modelling correct behaviour is one of the most effective ways to teach children. This includes speech, mannerism and interpersonal interactions, as well as morality standards.

Emotionally, stability can be taught by adults modelling mental and emotional strength. This includes how stressful and challenging situations are managed. Children can learn to develop emotional strength by using these behaviours as a template. Calm, respectful and emotionally balanced behaviours are usually observed from children who come from homes where these principles are practised.

It must always be remembered that children are products of their socialisation, learning daily from what they see, hear and feel.

Both teachers and parents must also remember they have a duty to always promote intrinsic motivation by helping children take pride in their achievements and encourage reflection and introspection as a means of self-growth. This is a critical life-skill that is essential to success well beyond school.

Children must be allowed to build healthy positive relationships by engaging in active listening and sharing of experiences. Tolerance and respect is an obvious outcome of these interactions.

This requires the investment of quality time by significant adults. It helps children to feel safe, valued and understood, simultaneously promoting the self-confidence they need to take calculated risks later on in life.

Accountability, a character trait sadly lacking in many successful adults, is best taught by allowing children to face the consequences of their actions. This, coupled with the skill of self-reflection, can be a lot more effective than punishment.

These teachable moments are oftentimes unplanned but whenever the opportunity arises for such lesson to be imparted, it must be seized upon by both teacher and parent.

Promoting curiosity in children is another essential ingredient for success later on in life, and children must be given the opportunity to challenge and question situations, even the status quo.

Their sometimes unorthodox and out-of-the-box thinking can even bring a refreshing new perspective to the adult. Unfortunately, this can cause adults to sometimes feel uncomfortable and insecure, but if used in the right way it can enhance the child’s self-confidence and self-esteem.

It is also okay for teachers and parents to admit ignorance and even allow children to sometimes become the teacher. Classrooms are learning communities. This is a most effective form of validation that will not only translate into academic excellence, but responsible productive adulthood.

Leisure reading has been identified as a basis for life-long learning and by extension creativity. Home environments must be able to mimic the discipline of school environments to ensure children are students at home. This means eliminating distractions, ensuring that rules are enforced, and self-regulation and behaviour limits are in place.

Promoting reading as an integral component of daily routines allows personal growth and intellectual development to become fun, enjoyable and effortless; learning becomes a continuum.

Children must also be allowed to embrace their emotions. Significant adults must acknowledge the emotional value children place on activities and situations and not dismiss their feelings as irrelevant. This in turn helps them process their emotions and build resilience.

They must also be given the space to pursue their passions given their unique personality traits. This is a journey that must be allowed to start in early childhood.