Parents: Be your children’s role models
Schools are there to provide a pupil with material and equipment that they have to use to learn. But,parents are there to guide the learner in discovering WHY and HOW. Schools are only a means to achieve a meaningful or meaningless life.
A person starts learning the moment they open their eyes for the first time. Those first steps, those first words under the watchful eyes of a proud parent in anticipation of what is yet to come. No one else can have that same excitement and thrill of those first steps their own offspring is taking.
My first memories of discovering the art of learning was sitting at the dining room table with my mother, teaching and asking me the spelling words. I remember the illustrations in my reading book, making associations with the underlined words. It was a challenge but what an adventure!
Parents are the first role models. “I want to be like my mother/ father” is a typical answer from a child in a happy home. When you think of a father figure, the first image that comes to my mind is walking hand in hand with daddy. He is strong and he will protect and guide ‘me’ to discover exciting things I am not aware of yet. He can look ahead and recognize my abilities, providing me with opportunities so I can grow. Even when I mess up, he will put me on his lap and love me with a stern voice. He is my role model and I mimic him in his habits, discipline and mindfulness. I want to please him, so I really try my best. He praises me and that builds my self worth. This teaches me a love for learning. When “the children at school” talk about others, comparing one to another or when the headmaster praises only the top achievers during assembly, the child can be assured by the parents to believe in themselves regardless. As the song goes, “every face has a story.” Parents are there to show a child how to handle disappointments, discover how unique and precious he/she is; how to set goals; how to handle criticism; how to look deeper; who to trust; how to pick the right friends, ie, the art of mindfulness.
It goes without saying that parents must be involved in their children’s development and show them what love is all about.
Parent’s involvement has direct correlation with academic improvement. The fruit of the involvement of a parent in a student’s life and learning is academic improvement because the student has discovered their abilities and made learning part of their life.
Estie Dempers is a University of Port Elizabeth BSc graduate and holds a Diploma in Higher Education.She is the founder of MathisFun. This is an online and physical tutorial establishment in Pretoria.
Contacts email: estiedempers@gmail.com
