“Stop trying to perfect your child, but keep trying to perfect your relationship with him”. This was the basic theme on which the presentation held at Guru Harkishan Public School Nehru Place was based on. The topic of the presentation was ‘ Effective Parenting’ and the speaker was Ms. Poonam Singh Jamwal, Director, Amity Care.

This session was held on 27 th and 28 th December 2005 and was aimed at parents with children in the 10 th and 12 th standards. The session was attended by a number of parents who were eager to learn ways of dealing with their teenage children and the problems associated with them.

Ms Jamwal urged parents to stop policing their children and instead spend more quality time with them. She explained that teenage was the most difficult time for a child because of the physical, psychological and emotional changes that take place. Hence parents need to understand their child’s psyche and deal with it accordingly.

At the same time parents should not give in to their children’s unreasonable demands and they should be firm and strict whenever necessary. Ms. Jamwal reiterated that parenting is a skill that all parents need to learn. The basic lesson to be remembered by all parents is that ‘during teens, your relationship with your child is evolving and not ending’.

The presentation dealt with many sensitive issues such as the physical, psychological, emotional and social evolution of teenagers; what parents expect from their children and vice versa; how to build and nurture relationships; talking about sex education; and the role of family and teachers in tackling teenage problems.

Parents too participated in the presentation by sharing the problems they face in bringing up teenagers. They also shared their dilemmas and concerns regarding exposure to cable TV, internet, mobiles and even areas like affinity towards the opposite sex.

Parents found this session a great help. They discovered ways of improving their relations with their children. Their fears and concerns were discussed and logical solutions were given for their problems. Some students too were a part of the audience and they too interacted and came forward with their problems. This gave the session a whole new perspective- ‘effective parenting from the teenager’s point of view’.

The need for more such sessions was felt both by the parents as well as the students.

Reported by Sandhya Sharma