This writer is of the opinion that the discipline of children rests squarely on the father of the child although the mother has limited role to play notwithstanding that she is naturally attached and bonded to the child. The raging question has been centered on the use of the cane for the discipline of children. Most people rush to some texts of Scripture which plainly specify the use of the rod to correct children because foolishness is bound in the child's heart. Although we have acknowledged that God has the final say in matters of conduct of people, those Scriptural passages are not a blanket approval for child abuse or brutality.  The controlling Scriptural text should be that in Proverbs chapter twenty-two, verse six which stresses, "starting off a child in the way he should go". "Starting off"here means training and training entails a process. Disciplining the child forms part of the starting off or training and there is the right way to achieve this. The...

Conditioning kids about boundaries is essential for their social and emotional development. Here are ten effective ways to do so without resorting to harsh punishment: 1. Model Boundaries: Demonstrate healthy boundaries in your own life. Show respect for your own space and the space of others. 2. Use Clear Communication : Explain what boundaries are and why they are important. Use age-appropriate language to ensure understanding. 3. Set Consistent Rules: Establish clear and consistent rules about behavior. Reinforce these rules regularly to help kids understand expectations. 4. Model Role-Playing : Engage in role-playing scenarios where kids can practice setting and respecting boundaries in a safe environment. 5. Encourage Empathy : Teach kids to consider how their actions affect others. Discuss feelings and encourage them to express their emotions. 6. Provide Choices : Let kids make choices within set limits. This promotes autonomy while still respecting boundaries. 7. Positive Rein...

This specialist content is credited to CHATGPT reproduced here for information purposes and readers’ interests.  Child development is typically divided into several key stages based on age. Here’s a breakdown of the main stages during the formative years: 1. Infancy (0-1 year)- Physical Development: Rapid growth, motor skills (rolling over, sitting up).- Cognitive Development: Exploration through senses, beginning of problem-solving - Social/Emotional Development: Attachment formation, recognition of caregivers. 2. Toddlerhood (1-3 years)- Physical Development: Walking, climbing, fine motor skills (grasping, stacking).- Cognitive Development: Language development (first words, simple sentences), basic understanding of cause and effect.- Social/Emotional Development: Independence starts to emerge, parallel play with other children. 3. Preschool (3-5 years)- Physical Development: Improved coordination, running, jumping, and fine motor skills (drawing).- Cognitive Development: Imagina...

The saying, "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it" (Proverbs 22:6), suggests that early moral, ethical and behavioral foundations laid during a child's formative years create a lasting imprint, guiding their character and choices into old age. This speaks to durability of proper upbringing which acts as an anchor, keeping children aligned with those initial values notwithstanding the external pressure or shifts in Societal values. When applied to the moral collapse and lack of nobility in some societies, the saying calls for some interpretations. If we observe a decline in some values like honesty, integrity and communal responsibility in some people's lives, it may imply that the formative training of contemporary generations has shifted from the old values or failed to instill them effectively. The proverb implies consistency in "the way he should go" defined by traditional, moral, or noble ide...

Most Igbo parents choose to raise their children primarily in English language without weighing the adverse implications in their formative years . Any perceived positive implications cannot stand the test of time in the final analysis. Let's dlve into these implications beginning with the negative ones. 1. There is this ongoing erosion of Igbo language and cultural identit y, compared with other competitive Nigerian languages and cultures. This also affects the culture, history, oral tradition , thought life and values of the families concerned. Children brought up in English will have a disconnect from their roots . They will not learn the all-important proverbs , folklores , oral traditions, stories and games rooted in Igbo language and culture . Such children will struggle with bonding with their grand parents and other rural relatives who do not speak or understand English. They will thus struggle to engage with their heritage. With time passage this will weaken the transmis...

Parenting, though a very serious business, has a lot of fun attached to it. Come to think of it, every married couple feels a kind of vacuum within a few months after marriage if there is delay in conception by the woman. Inherent in the feeling of loss is the unvoiced expectation of a baby to cuddle, breastfeed and bond with to gratify the gaping yawn for motherhood, which is mistaken for parenting.  When a baby does arrive, the joy in the mother's heart knows no bounds until the baby's cries and other unsettling activities manifest. Young mothers need not be overwhelmed with the demanding responsibilities of child care especially with respect to parenting. Parenting derives its pleasure from a commitment to raising offspring that would turn out a blessing in the long run for the child, parents and society at large, following the obedience of parents to the demands of the creator God. God in his infinite wisdom has given children parents for a purpose: to nurture offspring tha...

Positive parenting is godly parenting.  God has a purpose and plan for the family. God is sovereign in that the book of Genesis , the record of the beginnings, has it that "In the beginning God..." We read this in Genesis 1:1 .  This speaks to the fact that life is all about God. It is clear that apart from God there is nothing else. No God, no beginning; no creation. It is that simple. We must understand this as it also speaks to the fact that God assumes sole ownership - patent right, over all creation. Hence, God dictates and decrees the way. We read in Genesis 18:17-19 , the demands of God as he apparently boasted about his friend Abraham . That he was fully aware that Abraham would unfailingly direct his children and household after him to follow God's way by obeying all his commands. God was confident that Abraham would be a role model in children's proper upbringing. We thus realise that God's purpose and plan for the family is that the name of God should b...

Child Growth and Development fall into a specialist area of psychology and one of the family life education books referred to in my course of preparatory studies for marriage, by Allan Petersen J., The Marriage Affair , devoted a voluminous chapter to the issue of how the child develops with respect to age and necessary character traits and behavioral patterns to expect and hence properly manage in order to achieve positive behaviors and characters in contrast to the natural bent based on proven research and informed experience. Natural bent refers to the tendency of the individual to do things the wrong way unless a corrective or disciplinary measure is applied to stop or minimize the unapproved behavior, character or action. Parents who allow their children to grow with such traits with the hope that they will drop them later in life when they become conscious of what is good or bad live to regret their failures or develop defense mechanisms to cover their ignorance of th...

We have attempted to place the responsibility of children's upbringing squarely on respective parents. We have seen that parenting is a very serious business and that it requires certain maturity levels to qualify as a parent, judging from the point of view of divinity as man is known to be a divine creature. We now have to go into concepts and ideas about the art of parenting. Parenting is largely a form of life long mentoring of offspring with the view of imparting acceptable character traits and behaviors into children. The chief person with the gravest responsibility in this case is the man of the house. As the head of the family, he is looked up to by the creator and the procreation for provision for and direction in all ramifications. Having been mature enough to marry, and having studied to gain knowledge, he then understands how to influence the child from birth for positive character traits and how to exert the necessary disciplinary measures on the child for correction...

From conception, a mother begins to play her role somewhat naturally. However, the natural attachment has tended to cause the mother to neglect positive information that will help make her a better parent. The foremost being that her role in proper upbringing of the child is complementary notwithstanding how naturally attached the child has been to her. Unless she knows that God made it so she will engage in rivalry with the husband for the leadership in the house. This rivalry as a result of ignorance of her proper role will cause her to engage in undue protection of the child from the father's influence hence fracturing the child's proper development. In fact, a child so shielded by the mother from the father's proper influence in his early years of development can easily be spotted out there in the society due to character deficiency. What then is the proper role of a mother in the upbringing of a child? Now, a mother should concentrate on the natural roles and submit t...