Parenthood comes about as a result of marriage, implying the existence of a child or children in the marriage.
Parenthood is the state of being a parent, involving the responsibilities, joys, and challenges of raising a child.
It encompasses caring for and nurturing a child, fulfilling parental responsibilities, and preparing children for independent adulthood.
Responsible parenthood therefore entails fulfilling obligations towards their child or children. It goes beyond meeting basic needs and involves establishing a healthy environment, teaching values, and providing love and support to help children thrive.
It is a significant and multifaceted role that requires commitment, care, and guidance to ensure the well-being and development of the child.
This obligation is a shared duty between the father and the mother. This duty must in turn be supported and encouraged by complementary roles of the children by obedience, loyalty and disciplined behaviour.
Responsible parenthood includes effective socialisation and the inculcation of family and societal values such as respect for elders, etc. It also involves instilling religious values in them such as fear of God.
When a child is raised right, he or she becomes a treasure to his or her immediate family, the community and by extension the society at large.
ROLES OF RESPONSIBLE PARENTS
1. Providing a safe and nurturing environment for their children.
2. Protecting their children from abuse and other dangers.
3. Meeting their children’s basic needs, such as food, water, and shelter.
4. Investing in their children’s education and knowing their interests. This is not exclusive to just payment of fees.
All the requirements that will help the child succeed and give him or her a smooth learning process should be met.
5. Spending quality time with their children and actively listening to them.
6. Setting boundaries, and rules, disciplining their children when necessary, and giving them good home training. Parents must ensure that all negative influences are kept out of the home.
7. Fulfilling their financial responsibilities, including paying child support as ordered.
IMPORTANCE OF RESPONSIBLE PARENTHOOD
1. Responsible parenthood produces responsible children who contribute positively to society: Since the family is the cradle of the socialising process of the child, the child first learns values from the home.
2. It promotes good character, values, peace, and harmony in the community: These attitudes are important for the child to fit well into society. All of these positive attitudes equip the child to become a positive and supportive member of society.
3. It reduces crime rates and levels of illiteracy: When parents inculcate good values in their children, this will help them avoid trouble, which will in turn reduce the crime rate in Society.
4. It fosters a sense of belonging and encourages children to contribute to the development of the nation.
5. It ensures the emergence of future leaders with a spirit of nationalism and patriotism.
6. Since children from broken homes are oftentimes problems for themselves and the community at large, parents must ensure the stability of their marriage to avoid the adverse effect their broken marriage will have on the children.
7. Responsible parenthood ensures that children are raised in healthy and decent homes: When the majority of the citizens enjoy good health, the nation will be spared the burden of outbreaks of diseases caused by dirty environments that eat into the country’s resources.
The resources will therefore be channeled into other uses for the growth and development of the nation.
CONCLUSION
Responsible parenthood is the cornerstone of a well-functioning society, as it not only moulds the future generation but also contributes to the cultivation of a harmonious and advancing community.
By instilling proper values and guidance, parents lay the foundation for children to seamlessly integrate into societal norms, fostering a sense of responsibility and adaptability.
This, in turn, helps mitigate social issues like crime and illiteracy, paving the way for a more stable and prosperous future.
For more on Parenting, click here to read our interesting post on Parenting and Family Life.
