“Raising a child is like planting a seed and watching it grow into a beautiful flower” — Lisa Wingate.
Responsible parenthood is a gift to humanity.
Every child is a gift from God, and parents must raise their offsprings in the best possible way. While other family members may assist with this, parents are ultimately in charge of providing for their children’s basic needs which include food, clothing, shelter and ultimately, proper upbringing.
Responsible parenting isn’t about being called mom and dad but taking the necessary steps in grooming a well-grounded child for the good of society.
It is about making a deliberate and conscious effort to raise children in the right environment for the good of society at large.
What is Responsible Parenthood?
Responsible Parenthood refers to the responsibilities and duties that parents perform to groom their children into well-grounded and well-informed adults. It involves catering to their financial, emotional and educational needs.
Parenthood doesn’t end at providing the basic needs of livelihood for your child but also involves the moral, social and emotional development of the child’s life.
Making the right choices for your child such as enrolling them in school, keeping an eye on their academic progress, and ensuring they participate in extracurricular activities, is another aspect of responsible parenting. It extends beyond merely offering clothing, food, and housing.
Importance of Responsible Parenthood
1. Development of Responsible Future Leaders
A new generation of leaders will emerge as time passes – Leaders who have a strong desire to see their society flourish; leaders who will usher in a new era of great things for society and change the status quo. If parents don’t fulfil their responsibility as responsible parents, this won’t occur.
There will not be as many capable future leaders eligible to assume leadership positions, which will result in the selection of ineptitude. How responsible future leaders are developed is through responsible parenting.
2. Decline in the Rate of Crime
The presence of crime in a society causes unrest, mayhem and insecurity. Businesses are not safe to operate because of insecurity, people are scared of staying out late and economic activities at night decline.
Responsible parenthood helps to curb this. This is because if children are raised the right way, the tendency of them resorting to crime as a means of livelihood reduces. Instead, they turn to more legitimate ways of making money. This in turn reduces the number of miscreants we have in society thereby reducing the crime rate.
3. Promotes Harmony and Peace
The presence of peace and harmony in a society is not felt if parents do not rise to the task of raising responsible children. Responsible children will not take up violence to settle grievances among themselves. Responsible individuals woill not act unruly in schools and places of work. They also won’t engage in activities that lead to political unrest.
Peace and harmony do not stay in the same vicinity with these character traits. Responsible parenthood ensures that children are on the right path and grow up as peace-loving individuals.
4. Reduces the Degree of Illiteracy in the Society
Illiteracy is a disease that eats through any society. Our focus here is not just educational illiteracy which is cured by being within the four walls of a classroom. Illiteracy can also be not knowing the right way and manner to relate with others. It can also be not showing respect to your elders and anyone you come across.
This can be reduced when parents ensure that their children get the right education they need to measure up with their counterparts all over the world. Ensuring that they also gain the right moral and ethical upbringing.
5. Builds Virtue and a Sound Moral Code
Having sound virtues and a moral code starts from home before a child is enrolled in school. It starts when they pick up virtues like honesty, Integrity and respect from their parents. The home is where they learn the importance of teamwork as they relate with their siblings and learn the difference between right and wrong.
Responsible parenthood is not complete without instilling the right set of values in our children.
In Summary
Everyone has a role to play in ensuring that a child grows up to become a responsible adult. However, this foundation has to be laid by responsible parenthood. Doing this helps raise responsible future leaders, reduce crime rate, promote harmony and peace, reduce the rate of illiteracy and build a sound moral code in our children.
Read here: 6 Ways Parents and Family Can Shape Their Children’s Overall Success.
