Precept of Parenting

Precept of Parenting

Do you know that 90% of the child’s brain is developed between the age of 0 to 12 years? Do you know learning of a child starts right inside the mother’s womb? Do you know that an infant can grasp things better when it is asleep? These and many such crucial facts are to be taken care of for the better development of a child’s brain.

Most of the beliefs in an individual are developed during the first quarter of his life that is up to the age of 12 years which means the initial 1/4^th portion of a human life plays a pivotal role in determining what an individual would be during the rest 3/4^th portion of his/her life. But unfortunately most parents fail to acknowledge this and end up bringing up a child with mediocre development and lesser resources necessary for growing intellectually.

Human brain functions around four patterns known as brainwave patterns.

Delta – Brainwave pattern of sleeping adults and infants

Theta – Brainwave pattern that is most creative and imaginative and that’s when best ideas are generated. This is the brainwave pattern of children between age 2 to 6.

Alpha – Brainwave pattern useful while focusing on something. Children between age 6 to 12 are in constant Alpha state of mind.

Beta – Fully aware and functional adult brain after the age of 12 that remains regular brain posture for rest of our lives.

Parents need to take the advantage of Theta and Alpha brainwave patterns that children are in between the age of 2 to 12 years by providing them an environment and surrounding that is harmonious to their growth because whatever they feel and believe during this age is what will be the Beta pattern for the rest of their lives.

Things parents should do, over and above the archaic methods of upbringing.

· Make an effort to develop reading habit in a child by reading bedtime stories and subscribing to children libraries wherein children are made abreast of different books, mind games, stories that increase their logical reasoning and lateral thinking. Quoting the words of Adora Svitak, a child prodigy who reportedly finishes 2 to 3 books a day, ‘Reading allows you to grow, and grow beyond the world around you.’ Reading is the ultimate bequest one can give to the child.

· Increase child’s exposure with the help of alternate education system. Now a days alternate education resources are available over and above the archetype schooling system which endeavor to develop creativity, reasoning, logical thinking, vocabulary building, aptitude, communication skills, lateral thinking etc., and keeps child apprised and a step above average thinking patterns. According to the American psychologist and educator, Edward Lee Thorndike, originator of modern educational psychology, “Despite rapid progress in the right direction, the program of the average elementary school has been primarily devoted to teaching the fundamental subjects, the three R’s, and closely related disciplines… Artificial exercises, like drills on phonetics, multiplication tables, and formal writing movements, are used to a wasteful degree. Subjects such as arithmetic, language, and history include content that is intrinsically of little value. Nearly every subject is enlarged unwisely to satisfy the academic ideal of thoroughness… Elimination of the unessential by scientific study, then, is one step in improving the curriculum."

· Inculcate the importance of Goal setting. The major demerit of current education is the failure of the system to demonstrate the importance of goal setting in one’s life. The principle reason of our mediocrity is we take life as it comes instead of consciously architecting the path ourselves. It’s a tragedy that most of the people are not able to express what they actually want even at the medial stage of their lives. Adults complete their post graduation in various fields from reputed universities in the quest of good and highly paid jobs only to find later this isn’t their field of expertise and ultimately carrying the burden of regret and remorse for the rest of their lives.

· Build up strong emotional intelligence and confidence within a child. This can be done by making it feel the importance of itself. Explaining them the importance of faith, courage and belief in the power of dreams. According to Ms. S. Jose, teacher in a reputed school, “Children, like anyone else, require respect, space and a modicum of privacy. Modeling democracy, tolerance and fairness in all one's dealings with children help lay groundwork of solid character and self-worth. The sad part is that, our children are a voiceless majority in any community. A strong emotional bond with parents and guardians based on trust and openness is essential to the fostering of a healthy, whole child.”

· Give precise answers to their questions. “Why?” is the child’s favorite question and powerful method of enquiring on things. Vague answers will only breed more ambiguity within a child’s mind.

Things parents should never do to children.

· Never to belittle them nor shattering their confidence by talking in negation. Parent’s conversation with the child should always be in the affirmative. More use of negative words like no, don’t, cannot, impossible would bring more negativity into the child’s conversation with itself within its mind.

· Never to pass on the adversities of a situation onto the children. Its not their age to live under the burden of adult’s problems. Problematic surrounding inhibits child’s ability to creative thinking and imagination.

Its high time parents understand that levitating or desultory upbringing can prove to be fatal to the child’s process of evolution. Conscious planning and painstaking efforts is what is needed to build up a brighter future for the child. Lets coslesce into a powerful group to metamorphose in the traditional methods of parenting.