The pursuit of family livelihood continues to create some form of disconnection between parents and their wards. There are a lot of parents who do not actually know the emotional and psychological state of their children. A lot of parents especially men leave home very early in the morning to work and return late and tired hence has little or no time for their children. However, parents can use this period of the covid-19 stay home order to build quality relationship with their children. It is not the time for children to get the freedom to “fret around” but a moment to connect family.
This period should allow parents who spend almost all their entire week working, attending meetings, and running around to provide for the economic needs of their family get enough time for family togetherness and bonding.
The needs of children goes beyond just their economic needs. Children wants to share emotions, play, eat and have enough time with parents to ask all their somewhat interesting questions and also express their curiosity. These are moments they hardly get from their parents which mostly push them to get attached to their peers.
Child upbringing revolves around mentoring, coaching and constantly guiding them to pursue their preferred vision. They seems to get more connected to people that believe in them and appear ready to support them emotionally to do who they (children) want to be. Children want to have their parents to show consistent interest in their progress in school and in their talents. This makes them to bring out their best.
However, few children get these kind of relationship from their parents. Some parents know little or nothing about their children. They neither know about the emotional and psychological needs of their wards nor their vision and aspirations.
Ideally, it is expected of parents to know about the friends of their children and the people they constantly relate with in their daily lives.
Most Ghanaian parents only assume that putting food on the table, paying bills and school fees are the only way to care for family. However, without underestimating the importance of parents being financially responsible for their home, it is imperative for them to spend quality time with their children in order to get well connected with them and also care for the emotional needs of their children. What keeps children more healthier is when they feel loved, respected, corrected, encouraged and motivated.
Therefore I want to admonish parents to use this period of Covid-19 lockdown to build sound relationship with their children. Parents must spend enough time with their children, play with them, allow them to ask questions, get to know what they have been doing and what has been their challenges and provide alternative solution to their issues. Parents can nicely share the successes and failures of their lives to their children to serve as a guide to them as they grow.
By doing this we will be able to imbibe good moral lives into our children. Good relationship between parents and their children will help build a better home and decent society with well cultured children.
Source: Thepressradio.com| Eunice Antwi-Boasiako (BA, MPhil)
