Anuradha Govind
Principal J M International School
While I believe that the parents should not ‘dictate’ to their child what they can or should do with their lives, I still hold that a good parent acts as a facilitator in shaping the future of their child. Parents should be available to support and advise, and that’s the kind of role they should play in their child’s future. A parent’s experience may certainly direct their child towards making productive decisions for life and can offer perspective to a child who lacks first-hand experience. But How much parental influence is too much? One size does not fit all. Some children have personalities and capabilities that need strong guidance by parents or other authority figures or they would tend to flounder and drift. Some children, similarly guided, would quickly rebel because such is their individual nature. Over-imposition can end up crippling your child’s growth and skill-set training in terms of independent decision making. Remaining too aloof on the other hand takes away an important resource bank and support system from the child in the crucial process of development and self-realization.
