In a bid to address the evolving challenges of parenting in today’s fast-paced world, CEDEC International School, Olodi Apapa, Lagos, held its yearly parents’ forum, sensitising them on how to navigate the complexities of modern parenting.
The forum was an avenue to bring parents together to deliberate on the best ways to train their wards, and dangers of abdicating their parental responsibilities.
The 2024 edition, themed: “The child and the fast-changing world,” equipped parents with up-to-date information and skills-set needed to understand their roles as stakeholders in the lives of their wards.
The school proprietor, Dr Ijeoma Uwachukwu,harped on the collaborative nature of child upbringing, urging parents to actively participate in their children’s academic and moral development.
She said: “Parents must imbibe the culture of parenting and also collaborate with the school in the task of grooming them academically, physically, morally and spiritually for all-round development. They must attend meetings, come for open day, and visit once in a while to see how their wards are doing.”
On their part, Uwachukwu said the school wouldcontinue to support parents in their journey of parenthood, promising continued collaboration and resources to empower families in the community.Chairman of the parents’ forum, Mr Gregory Roberts, emphasised the importance of parental involvement in shaping children’s lives amidst societal changes.
According to him, the task of bringing up a child is a collaborative one and should not be left to teachers. To boost the academic performance of children, Roberts noted that parents must be fully involved. He said: “As the world evolves, so must our approach to parenting; we must study their habits, character and behaviour.”
Roberts also advised the children to choose a good role model that would shape their future. The guest speaker, Mrs Eunice Ogege, highlighted the impact of technology and social media on children’s lives, urging parents to establish strong connections with their wards and monitor their online activities.
While speaking on the topic “Understanding the present-day child and our roles as stakeholders in their lives in a fast-changing world,” Ogege advised parents to buckle up, so that their children can turn out well.
“Understanding your child is crucial in guiding them through the digital age,” she advised. Another speaker, Amos Adebayo, highlighted the importance of collaboration between parents and teachers in shaping children’s character and values.
One of the parents, Mrs Roseline Chinwendu,expressed gratitude to the school for putting up such a forum to educate parents on how a child should be raised at this time.
