NAN-H-24
Parents
By Toba Ajayi
Ilorin, Aug. 3, 2017 (NAN) Pastor Benjamin Olalekan of Christ Kingdom Church, Ilorin has advised parents to have a good rapport with their children to nurture them into respectable and responsible adults.
Olalekan, who gave the advice in Ilorin on Thursday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), stressed the importance of love and understanding in correcting children whenever they were wrong or failed to discharge their duties at home.
“It is a wrong approach to discipline by being rigid in dealing with children; such a posture will do more harm than good in their lives.
“Being harsh on your children is not the best way to deal with them. It only drives them away from expressing their feelings while they are passing through difficult situations.
“The more you try to be harsh on children the less they will trust you because they will never confide in you and they will be hiding things from you.
“Most parents through their rigid principles have forced their children to doing terrible things without carrying them along because they never relate well with them.
“Some parent’s harsh policies have forced some of their children who are victims of rape to keep mute. Some girls will do abortion without the knowledge of their parents because they are not always on a good rapport.
“Parents must draw their children closer and establish a good rapport with them. They will be bold to reveal their plan to you before taking steps when you give them listening ear,” he said.
The cleric further called on parents to give their children audience always, especially if they have some worries or they simply want to express their feelings.
“Though, it’s good to discipline children when necessary but don’t deny them the opportunity to express their feelings,” the cleric stressed. (NAN)
LEX/OSA/GY
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Edited by Shittu Obassa/Grace Yussuf