Parenting can be exciting and exhausting at the same time. Taking care of childhood needs of the children is uppermost in the parent’s minds, yet it is possible that many times they may get missed or overlooked.
Parenting, in today’s times, is surely a challenging task for many reasons. First, in most families both parents have a full time job and the time spent with the child is limited. Secondly, most families are nuclear and hence do not have the support of the grandparents on a regular basis. Third, with the rise of technology and social media in our lives, has resulted in both parents and children being distracted and having less time for each other.
To get an educator’s perspective we had a conversation with Dharini Srinivasan, experienced Educator and Founder of Dishaa Montessori, Bengaluru. She explained the big difference that she sees in the childhood needs met for the current generation of children, compared to the earlier ones.
She also voiced concerns with Parenting issues going forward.
Some pertinent points that came up were-
- Most important needs of the child between the ages of 2-8years are love and affection in the form of appreciation, competence and autonomy which is age appropriate. Parents need to take care that these childhood needs are being adequately met through communication both verbally and non-verbally.
- Both parents and teachers need to work together to meet the child’s needs. It can be highly confusing and harmful for a child to get different messages at home from what he/she receives at school.
- Teachers need to be also tuned in to the child’s needs and update oneself with the necessary skills and knowledge that may be needed in dealing with the child.
Watch this short film where Dharini Srinivasan shares her views on
- The Child’s needs
- What Parents could do
- The Challenges of the Parents
- The Challenges of the Educator
- What Parents and Teachers could do together
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