Parents should realise it is important to influence what their children perceive them to be and create a friendly atmosphere. Minor demands of the children can and should be admitted, founder chairman Urivi Vikram Charitable Trust U.N.B. Rao advised.
Speaking at an interactive session on Know Your Growing Child organised by the civil society organisation for parents and young adults, the former senior police officer pointed out how perception of neglect can alienate the growing child. He cited an example of how a child of employed parents befriended a streetside vendor and became influenced by the latter to take to petty crime.
Parents must treat young adults like grown ups and give them space and a feeling that they are trusted. It could be done by encouraging children to run errands around the house independently or by sending them to buy some groceries and such items. “Not only does it instil a sense of confidence in the child, but also brings in a perception in them that they are trusted by the parents,” he said.
Peer pressure
Peer pressure is one of the most important influences in the thought process of a growing child and it is very important that the parents be aware of it and do not allow it to push the child on the wrong path. Growing children do many things under peer pressure. “I have seen many juveniles go astray and break law only because of peer pressure and not because of any other compulsion,” he said.
Parents should also be perceived as a trusted source of information for the growing children failing which the children would try to get the information from peers resulting in cases like teen pregnancies, he said.
He advised the parents to allow their children to bring home their friends and asked them to befriend them.
“Taking it forward you could try and befriend their parents, that way you can be comfortable when your children are spending time with them,” he added.
Career selection
Associate professor of English in Lankapalli Bullayya College V. Radha Devi explained how to select a career and gain the most from it.
Director Maharashtra chapter of the trust Visala and in-charge of Viskahapatnam chapter Naresh and others were present.
