| There is a great deal conspiring against parents to | | | | may face. Lack of faith and self-belief leads to |
| raise healthy, well-adjusted children. hildhood is shrinking | | | | outsourcing of parenting and also to a propensity to |
| in a social sense, free play is not valued and children | | | | overprotect and compensate when life doesn't go |
| are targeted commercially in ways that are not | | | | children's way. |
| always in their best interests. | | | | At a time when parental confidence is low and as a |
| Parents could do with some moral support, as it were, | | | | community we don't always look out for the best |
| from schools and other organisations as well as | | | | interests of children courage and faith are qualities |
| information and education on a range of child-related | | | | parents need in spades. |
| issues. | | | | Parents also need to get good at the basics of |
| There are two qualities that are essential to modern | | | | parenting and child-rearing. |
| effective parenting? They are: | | | | Significant UK research shows that children's |
| 1.Courage: Parents need courage to swim against the | | | | achievement levels at school correlated with parents |
| tide. It's not easy to stand up to pester power of | | | | with a strong foundation set of parenting skills. In fact, |
| children and withstand the pressure exerted by peers | | | | current thinking is that the best way to significantly |
| and media to raise children in certain ways. If you | | | | impact on education standards is to improve the |
| come from another culture it takes courage to | | | | foundation skills of parents. |
| continue some of your own family customs while | | | | These foundation skills include confidence-building, |
| integrating a new set of customs and practices. | | | | behaviour management, communication and |
| 2.Faith: Parents need faith in their own ability to | | | | team-building skills. Simply, when the basics of parenting |
| influence and raise children as well as faith in children's | | | | are consistently applied these are the optimal |
| abilities to prevail despite some of the difficulties they | | | | conditions for raising kids. |