Parent and Community Involvement
Role of the Parent
- Parents should not fail to acknowledge any good deed done by the child
- Parents should model respect for people of all religions, races, nationalities and cultures.
- In the family, the parents should have a compatible relationship so that a peaceful environment is created in order to bring joy and happiness to the child’s life, the absence of which impedes the emotional and spiritual development of the child
- All family members should assemble together at least once a day for saying prayers.
- Read age-appropriate values-based literature to their child
- Provide age-appropriate games and play material to promote curiosity and exploration (no violent or dangerous toys)
- Talk to the child about the importance of respect for God, other people, animals and environment
- Be affectionate with their child (touching, caressing, massage, etc.)
- Pray with the child and teach the child prayers
- Provide positive role models for their child
- Maintain a loving relationship within their family (parent-parent and parent-child)
- Maintain active, loving communication (both verbal and non-verbal) with the child
- Gradually expose their child to a diversity of safe and stimulating environments
- Security
- Love
- Cleanliness
- Obedience
- Trust
- Order
- Kindness
- Happiness
- Respect
- Discipline
- Caring
- Curiosity
Role of the Mother as First Educator
- By doing the stated things she is predisposing the child to acquiring good values.
- While the child is in the womb, the mother’s responsibility is to create conditions that will allow for her child to develop optimally
- Means that she should
- have positive thoughts
- pray & meditate
- avoid drugs& alcohol
- eat healthy food
- exercise
- talk to the child
- listen to peaceful music
- read good literature
Pre-Natal Care
- As much as possible, the parents should create a home environment that is clean, hygienic, and stress-free.
- It is important that prospective parents be offered parenthood training classes before the birth of their child so that they are well prepared to receive the child.
- While the child will not possess universal values while in utero, he / she will be born with a predisposition to acquire these values.
Role of the Father as First Educator
The father should be supportive in every way:
-
- emotionally
- physically
- morally