To kick off this new school year, COFACE’s Vice President and KMOP Director, Dr. Antonia Torrens shares some key and useful tips for parents.
September is usually the month where we reorganize our duties, both professional and day-to-day, but it is also a month when children go to a new school grade with hopes and dreams for building a better future.
Everyone has a lot to do and goals to achieve provided that we manage to find the inner motivation required to accomplish these. Amid our complex and demanding everyday life, let’s remember as parents that some very simple actions on our part towards our children may prove very beneficial for their lives. Please remember that many things are familiar and reasonable for us, but not our children if they are not inspired to behave in certain ways.
School has already started. So, if you are amongst the parents who believe in the value of good communication and solidarity, please sit with your child for 5 minutes and explain to them that if another child is too tall, too short, chubby, skinny, has curly, straight, or red hair, has a different shade of skin color and any characteristic in between, it is not a joke to be made fun of. That there’s nothing wrong with wearing the same shoes every day. Explain to them that a used backpack carries the same dreams as a new one! Tell your children not to exclude anyone for being “different” or for not having the same potential as them. Tell them not to tease and belittle others and what others love just because they don’t share the same interest.
Explain to them that teasing hurts forever and that they go to school to LEARN, not to hurt others.
Show them how to be kind, loving, and independent.
Tell them to include the child who stands/sits/eats alone.
Let them know that they are strong, brave, kind, caring, helpful and capable.
Remind them that they matter and that their behavior will affect the world.
EDUCATION STARTS AT HOME!
Photo: ©nadianb via Canva.com
