PARENT/CHILD RELATIONSHIP (Episode 4)

        *****************************************BE HER FRIEND INSTEAD OF HER RIVAL, COMPETITOR OR ENEMY

Parents, ESPECIALLY MOTHERS ought to be their daughter’s friend.

Mum, your daughter needs you. You owe her the responsibility of being her confidant, her friend, her mentor and even her first go-to counsellor. If your daughter doesn’t come to you first before she goes to others, there is something wrong somewhere. To build the kind of relationship I painted above with her, you need to start from the basics; right from when she is still very young and tender. Create a beautiful relationship with her; let her know she can be free with you. Be an approachable mother. Be her first life skills teacher.

Some mothers have given the ‘’she is stubborn’’, ‘’she doesn’t listen’’ speech as an excuse not to give the necessary guidance and counsel to their growing daughters. This does more harm than good. I must tell you at this juncture that NO EXCUSE IS GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU NOT TO PERFORM YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS YOUR OWN CHILD.

Let me give you a practical reason why. Let’s assume your child screams and throw tantrums when you tell him/her to leave the mud, does that mean you will leave that child in the mud? If you leave the child, I can assure you that at the end, it is not only the child that will suffer the consequence of your neglect, but you will suffer also; if not suffer more.

The reason is because when the child has dirty clothes and/or skin disease, it is you who will go through the stress of washing the dirty clothes and then you will spend money on treating skin infections.

So, no matter what you believe her character is, it doesn’t excuse you from performing your responsibility towards your growing daughter who needs your attention.

TOO MANY MOTHERS HAVE FAILED IN THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TOWARDS THEIR DAUGHTERS. Their daughters have fallen into the wrong hands because of lack of guidance, their daughters have married ‘beasts’ because when this daughters needed their mothers’ counsel, they never got it.

IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH YOUR CHILD AS FAR AS TRAINING IS CONCERNED, BUY PARENTING BOOKS, GET COUNSEL; IT IS UNDERSTANDABLE YOU DON’T KNOW IT ALL! Don’t make your daughters parenting-guinea pigs! They are worth more than being life’s laboratory experiments! Don’t short circuit your daughter’s life and future because of lack of knowledge! Ignorance is not an excuse anymore!

Attend seminars or meetings organized for parents that will help and guide you in the responsibility of parenting.

Even the internet can be useful: let Google be your friend and co-parent, IF THAT AND MANY MORE IS WHAT IT WILL TAKE FOR YOU TO BECOME AN EXCELLENT MOTHER TO YOUR DAUGHTER, DO IT! Remember, she is not your rival, competitor or enemy; SHE IS YOUR DAUGHTER: YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.

May we not be found guilty of bad-parenting. So, help us GOD.

#lifeskillscounsel