Ensuring Effective Nation Building through Successful Parenting
Funmi Ogundare Peace Obi
Parents, children and experts from institutions and churches recently converged on the SBLS Centre, Oregun, Ikeja, for the second national character parenting summit with theme, ‘Nation Building: The Economic Clause Vs. Deliberate Parenting’.
The programme, organised by Royal Characters and Values Limited (RCV), a social capital development and management company, saw discussants and participants emphasise on inculcating the right values in their children, good communication, team work for a successful parenting, learning to deal with different challenges, transparency, among others.
In her remarks, the convener, Mrs. Bosede Olusola-Obasa, said since parents are crucial to nation building, there is need for them to recognise the responsibility which rests on their shoulders.
“The quality of every nation is a direct reflection of the quality of her citizens and the quality of her citizens is determined primarily by the quality of the families they come from and the quality of families depends on the quality of parents.”
She said homes and families should be the starting point for the campaign, which she said should also be taken to schools for proper and effective dissemination, as well as the attainment of the much desired change in the country’s national life.
While calling on all government agencies, ministries of education and the media to rise to the challenge of championing the character re-orientation campaign, she said schools would play an important role.
“This year’s summit stresses the need for parents to be deliberate about their responsibility. There is need for character reorientation and it must begin from our homes built by role model parents.
“We acknowledge the fact that we cannot leave the schools out of creating values or raising people of value. That is why we have a platform called character edge support service that is giving the schools curriculum, as well as teaching the character edge.
Olusola-Obasa called on the National Orientation Agency to stir every Nigerian to turn a new leaf and follow the new thinking, saying, “we need character orientation to begin at home, then in offices, in government, in schools and all.”
In her remarks, the Chief Executive Officer of Edumark, Mrs. Yinka Ogunde, said in the past parenting is the only thing that one has to learn on the job but now, many parents are reading up how to get it done properly.
“Deliberate parenting is very important; you don’t have to wait until you start having children. Parenting is much more than ATM card, it must be planned for and the parents must be involved in the lives of their children and evolve the right type of style.”
She emphasised on family values, saying that parents must earn to walk their talk no matter how challenging the situation, adding that education should remain a key part of the family.
“The parents must be on the same page, as a mother too, you must have a level of self-esteem and ensure that you are able to achieve a work-life balance so that you can know what to do at the right time to give the children the best.”
The Chief Executive Officer of 14I worldwide, Mrs. Bunmi Oke emphasised team work, communication, trust, responsibility and accountability as rudiments of successful parenting, adding that in the course of doing so, the children must also be taught to take responsibility for their actions.
“You have to make up your minds that you want to be great parents, you have to connect with your children and learn to deal with problems as they come, as well as endeavor to be there and pray for them.”
The Editor, Saturday Punch, Mrs. Bisi Deji-Folutile, stressed the need for parents to teach their children the basic values, saying that it takes a lot of sacrifice and hard work.