Responsibilities of Parents and Elders.

1. Parents and Elders play a vital role in nurturing values in the children

a. The behaviour of parents creates a very strong impression on the minds of children. Hence, if the intention is to raise a child with strong moral and intellectual values, parents will need to be very vigilant of their own behaviour.
b. If the child is upset for some reason, be very affectionate with him while making sure that his self-respect is not hurt.
c. If the child wakes up crying, the entire day is likely to be ruined. So, make sure to be patient with him in the morning.
d. Do not point your child’s mistakes in presence of his friends. Discuss the issue privately and help him understand with patience.
e. Even if the child resists going to school, keep patience. If you lose your patience, you will breed hatred in the child.
f. Ensure that the child is happy while going to bed. Read him/ her an interesting book or tell him/ her funny stories/ jokes.
g. Parents should never fight or show disagreements in presence of the child. Parents who fight this way will quickly lose respect of their children.
h. In order to nurture the value of kindness to other living beings, teach kids to feed animals and donate generously to the poor and needy people.
i. There is a difference between being stingy or tightfisted and frugal or money-wise. Stingy parents will never be able to keep their children happy. Know the difference between needs and wants. Spend money for the “needs” of children. Be careful while spending for the “wants”.
j. While going on picnic or safari, let the children have the freedom to connect with nature. Let them play and run around without much restraint. Unnecessary restraints will hinder their growth. Remember, “A child is a father of a man”. These children will tomorrow be your support.
k. Deep down, parents have an earnest desire that their children would take care of them like “Shravan” did for his parents. However, have they been “Shravan” to their parents? How much and how well have they taken care of their parents? They should remember the age old saying, “As you sow, so shall you reap”.