We as parents often forget to do for our kids what we would like them to do for us? We often teach them to answer by “Yes mommy, yes daddy”; in our mother tongue “Karame”! All this is good, and it is one way of raising responsible, disciplined and having children of character. Our children learn primarily through modeling. In fact, you can’t avoid being an example to your children, whether good or bad. Children cannot develop a moral compass unless people around them use the clear, sharp language of right and wrong; for that reason we have to use the language of character! Does this story below tell you some thing you often do? During a workshop on how better to up bring our children, one lady was narrating her story with her four-year old son, read it carefully! She said: ” I sat down in hopes of finishing my work, and my four-year son starts frustrating me by complaining, throw temper-tantrums, talk-back, and refuse to cooperate and do his own work: which was a math homework! I requested him to keep quiet and again began calling, “Mommy...Mommy...” After ignoring him a few times, I finally responded with a little annoyance, [not the way she taught him to answer her call], “What?” In his innocent little voice, he answered “Thank you for being my hero.”! The little things we do as mothers for our children can seem insignificant and even bothersome at times, but in the eyes of our little ones, we are simply heroic! We need to create an environment in which our children can develop habits of honesty, generosity, and a sense of justice. For most of us, the greatest opportunity we personally have to deepen our own character is through the daily blood, sweat and tears of struggling to be good parents. Being responsible and learning responsibility is a lifelong process. You can provide the roadmap for your children to reach that destination. Enjoy the trip – the destination is in sight - To raise a responsible citizen! The author is the Minister of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF)
