By Rashaad Powery:

Ladies and Gentlemen, good morning.

I am here to share with you a little on parenting from my perspective as a
child. From what I have seen I know that parenting cannot be an easy
task…just as being the child is not as easy. Watching my mother raising
three of us boys and holding down a full time job is an experience for me. I
know at times we don’t always behave but from her I can come up with some
information on parenting:

P- Stands for Patience. All parents need this very important ingredient to
be effective in dealing with their children. For me, patience is the result
of the unending love that parents should have for their children.

A- Stands for Attention. If ever a time we need attention, is now. There is
no long or short to this; parents if you fail to pay attention to us someone
else will do, and it may not be the ones you want to do so. Parents ought to
stop sometimes and decide what is important for us as children, the latest
brands or some quality time spent. And dropping us off at swimming, or
football, basketball or the cinema does not count.

R-Stands for Respect. It is simple; if we are to get along with each other
as parent and child then we both need to respect each other. Being
respectful to us as children doesn’t make any parent a lesser adult.

E- Stands for Empathy. Parents, sometimes you have to feel how we feel to
really understand us. You have to be willing to step outside your zone and
into ours to experience our circumstances too.

N- Stands for Never. Never assume that we know or we ought to know. Make it
your point of duty to make sure we know the things you want us to know.
Never assume that we would never do something, make sure you know that we
are doing what we are supposed to do.

T-Stands for Talk. Please parents, it is important to talk with us, and note
I said talk with and not always to. Sometimes we are tired of being spoken
to. We need to be reasoned with too. It may seem sometimes that we are not
interested, but the reality is, it is those talks that will keep when we
grow up and go to college and be on our own. Those talks will become our
light for this journey, so please spend time and talk with us.

S-Stands for Security. Parents the best place we should ever find security
is with you. We should always feel like we can come running to you in any
given circumstances. We need to know that there is always a place in your
heart for us to seek refuge when this childhood of ours seems to confuse us.
We need to find security with you, because if we don’t, elsewhere may look
attractive and enticing.

For me, these are the basic grounds for parenting. And just a few more
advice. Please if you are going to discipline us, please don’t use what
worked for you, but what will work for us. Please set examples, if you don’t want
us to smoke, drink, curse and swear, then please don’t do it, show us - just
don’t tell us.

Thank you ladies and gentlemen, and may God bless us all.