Residents Urged to Play Their Parenting Role

Nandi Hills

Saturday September 30, 2023

KNA by Ruth Mainye

Nandi East Sub County administrators have advised parents and guardians to ensure they play their role as parents in a bid to shape their children's behaviour.

The administrators who represented the national government during the Sireet Out growers Empowerment and Producer (SOEP) Company annual general meeting utilized the opportunity to remind parents that they need to have quality time with their children apart from concentrating on their work and other income generating activities.

Speaking during the Annual General meeting that brought together members, residents and different stakeholders from different parts of Nandi County, who are either parents or potential parents, Nandi Hills Division Assistant County Commissioner (ACC) Anthony Nthenge regretted that parents have sank into their jobs while forgetting that they have a parenting role.

The administrator noted that most parents have left the role of children guidance to teachers, administrators, church leaders and house helps, a reason why some children have ended up ruining their lives.

" Most parents spend a lot of time at their work place, farming and businesses with an aim of investing for their children but forget doing their role as parents. As much as we make money to better our children's future let us have quality time with our children to be able to understand them as well as guide them," said ACC Nthenge adding that as administrators they have to join hands with parents to ensure there is a responsible future generation.

"It is time parents follow footsteps of parents of the 20th century who had to spend quality time with their children. With the modern technology children are vulnerable to a number of bad behaviours,” added Nthenge. 

On her part the Assistant County Commissioner at the office of the Nandi East Deputy County Commissioner Charity Ashioya said most children have ended up in depression, drug abuse and dropping out of school due to lack of parental guidance.

Ashioya noted that most parents have neglected their children in terms of parental guidance and lack of emotional support resulting to children ending up into peer pressure, drug abuse, teenage pregnancies resulting to depression.

" It is okay to pay school fees, buy clothes for our kids as well as provide food for our children but without parental guidance it is like doing nothing. Let us not leave our children to the world to teach them," pointed out ACC Ashioya, adding that neglecting children can result to their exposure to social media and the internet content at an age that they are unable to identify what is good for them.

She further pleaded with parents to ensure they monitor what their children do during their free time noting that without proper parenting parents will be able to understand their children to enable them be emotionally available for them in order to guide them at each stage of life.

According to Ashioya parenting involves giving help and support to children regarding issues such as difficulties encountered by children whether they be emotional, social, physical, behavioural as well as educational.

"It is important to remember that any amount of effort, interest or contribution you make towards your child's success is incredibly valuable to their future success be it behavioural or academic," she advised.

She noted that parental involvement plays an important and pivotal role in a child's success in both academics and in life.

This, she observed, is something that most experts including psychologists, educators and developmental experts can attest to, and is important to remember when thinking of long-term success.

Courtesy; KNA