Family foundation

The family as the primary socialising institution is uniquely placed to influence what this nation will become, says Minister of Social Care, Steven Blackett.

 

“As a change agent for children, the family is the first institution of which the child is a member and it is within the family that the child is equipped to meet and cope with the everyday situations of life.”

 

According to him, it is the family that shapes the child’s personality, and it is the child’s interactions and experiences within his/her family, that determine what he/she becomes in life and how he/she responds to the various occurrences within his/her lifetime.

 

Addressing the recent launch of Child Month 2016, Blackett also expressed that the relationship among members of the family including children is a very special one, even if at times, parents, guardians and children themselves don’t feel special to each other. 

 

“As Minister with responsibility for children and family matters, I believe that parents, guardians and adults have a responsibility to raise children in a manner that facilitates the transmission of positive values and ethics,” he stressed.

 

“To adults, we need to ask ourselves the question, ‘Are we creating the environment that would allow our children to shine as gems in their homes, schools and communities?’ The answer involves each of us evaluating our family interactions and then demonstrating to our children, positive values in all of our actions whether at home, school, work, play or within the community. We must be consistent in the demonstrations of these positive value systems.” (TL)