It takes a lot of time and effort to raise children. Because there are predators everywhere, the world is more dangerous than ever and you must be more vigilant than ever.
Parenting is not easy, and despite your best efforts, your children may make poor choices or be negatively influenced by their classmates. Parents sometimes have no control over the situation.
Whatever the case, it’s encouraging to know that you’ve done your best to be a parent.
Here are some recommendations:
1. Discipline is compulsory
Teach your kids the difference between right and wrong, and reprimand them when they transgress. Children can be stubborn and like to see if you really mean it, so discipline is not something you do once.
Show them again and time again that you won’t tolerate inappropriate behavior, and then follow up with an explanation of your punishment.
Flogging is not the only form of child discipline. Discipline can be enforced by taking away privileges like TV time, preventing them from leaving the house, and assigning them lots of duties.
Also, avoid being a hypocrite. Kids are excellent imitators. It won’t work if you behave badly while also trying to correct your child for the same issue.
2. Sex education must come from you - the parent
You should be the first to talk to kids about sex before they learn about it through the media, the internet, their friends, or their neighbors, and you shouldn’t do so casually or with a lie like “you get pregnant if a man touches you.”
Even though adolescence is a time of sexual experimentation and impulses, you should talk to your children about the value of love and commitment before sex, the meaning of marriage, understanding their bodies, the need for discipline, respecting their bodies, and avoiding dangerous situations.
3. Be friends with your children
Make time for your children. Spend time with them, play with them, chat to them about anything, and take them to restaurants and entertaining locations. They ought to love you as a friend in addition to respecting you as a parent.
Your kid should feel comfortable to talk to you about anything, including having a crush or feeling frightened or depressed.
4. Who you have around your child is very important
Children have frequently been physically and sexually abused by nannies, acquaintances, neighbors, relatives, teachers, and lesson instructors. Such folks should not be trusted with your children for an extended period of time. The lessons parents impart to kids are permanent.
Additionally, train your kids to alert you if someone tries to touch them in an improper way.
5. No phones until after secondary school and television time should be supervised
Teenagers had to use their parents’ phones to send text messages while I was growing up, I recall. Don’t reply; it’s my father’s phone, they’ll type at the end of the text.
If a 10-year-old needs the internet for homework, they should be supervised. Under no circumstances should a 10-year-old have a phone with access to multiple social networks. Even more hazardous content is available online than on television.
Before, you had to go out and get a pornographic CD. Nowadays, you don’t need to travel very far to see free pornographic material online or engage in dialogue with complete strangers who will advise your children to email naked images and perform self-mutilation.
Replace screen time with reading, coding classes, athletics, music, dancing, and other constructive pursuits.
Finally, do your utmost to protect your children by discussing morality and values with them. Teach them to be content, and hopefully they will continue to follow your advice as they get older.
