BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – WITH growing demands being placed on parents and guardians to pump more of their time and energy into their jobs, Minister of Education and Youth the Hon. Shawn K. Richards has issued a challenge to for these caregivers to make time for investment in their children’s lives.
His challenge was issued while delivering an address to mark the opening of Child Month which is celebrated in the month of June annually.
He said this year’s theme is “Instill values, build strong children, secure the future”.
Pulling from the wisdom of Dr. Garry Hill, Director of Clinical Services of the Family Institute at Northwestern University in the USA, Min. Richards said instilling values in children is a process which requires time.
“…Teaching values takes time, a scarce commodity for many parents today. Our increasingly competitive economy is creating an environment where mom and dad are spending longer hours at work and fewer hours with their children. So what is a parent to do? What is a guardian or caregiver to do?
“Dr. Hill urges parents, caregivers and guardians to 1. Make time to be with your children and make the time you have with them really count. 2. Talk with them about what is right and wrong and what constitutes good behaviour and what does not. 3. Have these kinds of conversations with your children on a regular basis so that the topic of values comes a completely normal one in your household. That way, in the future if your children do face moral conundrums, they are going to be more comfortable broaching the subject with you than with their peers. If you do not address these issued with your children society will fill in the void says Dr. Hill.”
He said Dr. Hill’s other suggestions further emphasize the need for time to be made and devoted to building relationships between children and parents.
“4. Don’t let yourself get so busy that you stop having real conversations with your children. 5. Children grow up very fast. Use the time you have with them wisely. 6. Make sure you build time in your schedule for consistent quality facetime with your children while they are still children.”
As is usually the case, Child Month provides sterling opportunities for children and their parents to spend quality time together. These include recreational and educational activities.
The Education Minister also gleaned from the wisdom of African/American social reformer, orator and statesman Frederick Douglas who expressed his belief in the adage that an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure.
“He argues, it is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. Let us keep the theme in mind…my Government stands behind the mission statement of the Early Childhood Development Unit…to provide high quality care and education for the maximum number of children in their early years of life and facilitate collaboration between the family community and those who are providing early childhood care and education in order to prepare the children for primary school and life in general’.
“Additionally as the minister of education I pledge my Government’s commitment to the enhancement of our children specifically our preschool children and all those who work with the early childhood development unit.”
