Don’t let technology take over

PAREDOS Director Marcia Graham is expressing concern about the parents who are yielding to technology and are losing a grip on their children in the process.

 

Her comments came during an informative workshop hosted by the Northern Zone of the Barbados National Council of Parent Teachers’ Associations at the Alexandra Secondary yesterday, on the topic ‘21st Century Parenting’, which she described as a very challenging period.

 

Saying that parenting is about giving all that you have to someone that you deliberately brought into this world, the director reminded that for many people bringing a child into the world was not a deliberate act. She lamented that some persons, even a decade after their child was born, still have not accepted the fact that they are parents and still found it difficult to settle into the role.

 

“How do we care for our children in the 21st century when technology’s taken over? Many of our children are no longer our children because we yield to the technology. As parents we’ve got to decide how are we going to raise the children,” she told those in attendance.

 

Graham, stressed that parents must look to add “Spices” – an acronym which reminds parents to look after the child’s, Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Creative, Emotional and Social well-being.

 

As it relates to the spiritual aspect, she said this is something that should be taught from the womb, but lamented that in the 21st century, many parents are not making it a priority. “Parents are asking ‘Are you going to Sunday school today?”, she noted, musing that in the past, children had a “full dose of church”.

 

She noted that while many parents are indeed taking care of their children, many of them are overcompensating, leading to childhood obesity, heart disease, because their diet is unhealthy. She also lamented that physical activity, with emphasis on outdoor play, appears to be a thing of the past.

 

Graham said parents in the 21st century must also focus more on the holistic development of their child, which includes developing a plan. She indicated parents must also find creative ways to nurture the gifts of every child, by taking the time to understand what that child’s talent may be.

 

She said not enough parents are their child’s biggest fan, nor do they show them love and affection on a daily basis, and urged the parents to teach their children not only how to get along with each other – which will keep them in good stead when they get older – but teach them radical forgiveness, to leave emotional baggage in the past. (JH)