An Ideal Parent -
Part 2
Parents should at first become ideal
parents to be able to mold ideal citizens for a secure and bright
future. In the last Issue we discussed some common mistakes committed
by parents. In this Issue we will study some qualities needed to
become an ideal parent.
Qualities of an ideal parent
Parents have to be vigilant at all times, in order to be able to nurture their
children to become ideal citizens. The following are the qualities necessary
to become ideal parents.
| 1. |
Unconditional
love: The biggest quality observed in ideal parents is that
of unconditional love. An ideal parent unconditionally loves
and accepts his child. Even if the child is mentally disabled,
an ideal parent fulfills all his duties towards the child and
loves him as much as he would a "normal" child.
This builds up the child's confidence. An ideal parent
lovingly convinces his child and gains his affection. |
| 2. |
Company: Children look forward to an ideal parent's company and
are happy to be in their company. |
| 3. |
Being the child's
role model: Children want to have parents who can be their
role models. A parent should take good care of his family and
be a socially responsible person. A mother can influence a
child greatly by being an ideal mother, wife, aunt, daughter,
etc. |
| 4. |
Encouraging the child's
natural curiosity: A child is naturally curious. How does the
light turn on at the switch of a button? How does a baby live
in the mother's womb? Where did grandpa go after he died?
Where does God live? A child is constantly barraging his parents
with questions. A parent should at times even leave aside their
tasks at hand, but definitely answer all the queries of the
child. |
| 5. |
Identifying a child's
hidden talent: Every child has some inborn talent. Some children
are good at drawing, some at singing, dance, etc. To experience
true happiness and comprehend the nature of life, a parent
should introduce children to all possible artistic pursuits. |
| 6. |
Nurturing the child
intellectually: A parent should give their children all possible
opportunities to educate themselves and also be able to guide
them. They should avoid talking to a three-year-old in a pampering
or patronizing way. Parents should avoid baby talk with children
over three years of age. If children are taught to recite Holy
verses (shlokas or stotras) like the Ramraksha stotra, Manache
shloka and Maruti stotra, at this young age, it helps make
their speech clear and crisp. |
| 7 |
Understanding children: An ideal parent approaches and answers all the queries of the
child from the child's point of view rather than an adult's
viewpoint. |
In the next Issue (the last in this series
of articles) we will discuss some more qualities needed to become
an ideal parent. |
