Background
Home is the first school of children. Similarly, parents are the first teachers of their children. Children learn many things from their parents. Talking, moving, standing and walking are the basic skills learnt by all children under the close observation, supervision and guidance of parents at home. Special care, security, love and affection given by the parents are the basic and important foundation for their children. A child learns to spell some words in a funny way in a warm lap of mother and father in a loving environment. Parents try to give maximum facilities and freedom to please their children. They are always eager to see their children happy. They try to fulfill the needs, interest and demand of their children depending upon their ability and condition.
The needs, interest and demands of each child grows with the growing age. It is true and real that every need and interest demanded by the child may not be immediately fulfilled. Mom and dad have to discuss, interact and decide about the demand of their children on the basis of their economic ability and socio-cultural settings. But there is no lacking of love, affection and guidance of parents towards their children. Mom and dad always keep their children in their eyes, heart and mind in course of nurturing and guiding them.
When something went wrong and child is not feeling well, parents are always in great pain, tension and anxiety. They take the sick child to the hospital for the treatment and use all possible means for the betterment. When a child is missed for some hours and days, parents become very anxious and sad, walk here and there to find out their child. If the child is in danger situation, parents rescue and save child's life putting their own life in risk. The parents do all these things for the protection and better health of their beloved child. It shows that parents are always ready to do everything for the sake of their children.
The role of parents in nurturing, protecting and guiding their children is unlimited and immeasurable. The role of parents in physical, mental and intellectual development of their children is always appreciative and commendable. Parents always encourage their children to learn good habits, moral character and shape their mind for proper social behaviour. Children learn the skills of communicating and respecting the elder people, relatives and teachers from the guidance and counseling of their parents. Parents guide children on how to behave, talk and conduct day to day activities with neighbours, elders, relatives, senior and junior friends in school and society. All these activities of parents are the key aspects of proper nurturing and guidance for the good personality development of their children.
Technique and Role for Nurturing and Guiding Children
Parents can play an important role to properly nurture and guide their children to make them role-model citizen of the society and nation. There are some techniques to become a role model parent for the appropriate nurturing and guiding of their children. They are explained in following points:
- 1. An inspirer: Parents are the real inspirer of their children to learn good personal habits and do the things of celebration. Parents have to tell the children the stories and biographies of great leaders, philosophers, scientists and discoveries of modern science and technology. They can also tell their own life story of success and failure which may create deep inspiration among children to walk on the path of success and great deeds. So the parents can play the role of an inspirer in nurturing and guiding their children.
- 2. A close friend: Parents have to try to become a close friend of their own child. They should always try to create a friendly environment at home. Children should feel free from the fear, anxiety and pressure. Parent should not treat the children with violent words and behaviour. When we behave them like a close friend then they feel free to say their problems and such problems and difficulties can be solved in time. A stitch in time has a great value to build up the personality and career of our children. It can stop many symptoms of wrong doing and bring them to the right direction. Therefore, the parents can play the role of a close friend for the proper nurturing and guiding their children.
- 3. A Model: Parents are a good model for their children at home. Children learn many good things like tidy habit, respect, honor, honesty, discipline and obedience from the behaviour and activities of their parents. These things are essential for the development of a good personality and model in the society. Honesty, obedience, discipline and good ethics are the prime components of a good model personality. A model is always a respected and commendable title given by an intellectual society. It is a matter of great pride to present own self as a model in the society. So the parents can play the role of a good model for nurturing and guiding their children towards right direction.
- 4. An architect: An architect engineer plans, designs and develops the actual framework of a building, road and bridges. Similarly, parents can act as an architect engineer to plan, design, engineer and develop all necessary aspects of physical, mental and career framework of their children. Planning and helping in the selection of school, college, university and subject stream is the architectural concept of designing, engineering and developing the ultimate life career of their children. The proper and successful career development of the child greatly depends upon the architect ability and guidance of parents. Hence, the parents can play the role of an architect for the selection, creation and construction of an appropriate and high profile career of their children.
- 5. An artist: To survive in the society with great dignity needs an art and skill of living, surviving in the society with the art of living is a quality of an individual. This quality can be developed only by teaching, learning and practicing the life skills. Life skill refers to the art and technique of living and surviving in the changing society. Communication, adjustment, behaving, responding, reacting, deciding, sympathy, commenting, criticizing, opposing, appreciating and accepting are some examples of life skills. These life skills are essential elements of art of living or surviving in the society. Parents are great artists who can carve and develop the skills and art of surviving among their children. So the parents should play the role of an artist to equip their children with surviving skill and art of living to adjust in the changing society.
- 6. A choreographer: A choreography is an art and science of moving body parts in an attractive and beautiful way. So, in a simple language, choreographer is a guide and trainer to teach the moving and dancing skills. Parents are real choreographers who can successfully choreograph their children to "dance in a chance". To teach and guide the children to dance in chance refers to make them able to grab every good opportunity. For this, they need the ability to move according to their situation, time and chance. Because the time and chance never wait for lazy people. The person who lacks the ability to grab the proper chance in a proper time, she/he cannot get success in their professional career. So the act of choreographing the children to move and grab every chance is an important role of parents in nurturing and guiding them toward successful career and profession. Therefore, parents can play the role of a choreographer to equip the children with the skill, technique strategy, mobility and smartness to dance according to the speedily moving time and chance.
Prof. Dr. Lokendra Sherchan
Principal