`Parenting is a very crucial factor in the life of a human being. It can be a factor in the early twenties or latter years but it is a factor. Whether you have children or not, the younger generation should be a consideration for all. Maria Montessori was actually disheartened about the way adults viewed children during her time. I therefore wonder what she would say about the way we view children today especially in this part of the woods of Africa and Nigeria specifically.

I will just look at some basic aspects of parenting today and take it a bit further next week. One of the main factors an adult needs to consider as a parent is that of responsibility for the child. Responsibility is not control, though. And herein lies the problem for most of us. We want to control the child, but taking responsibility for our children has in many cases taken second fiddle. If it hasn’t then please explain to me why we now think that it is the schools sole responsibility to teach our children about Sex, or their mother tongue? Surely parents have an important role to play in insuring that their children understand and know what is right from what is wrong. I am not saying the school should not play their part, but sometimes it feels like it is only the school that is saddled with the responsibility.

A parent must accept that the child needs them as a guide and not as a creator. God created us all and he has given us these children so that we can continue to live on generation after generation. Each generation has something peculiar to it. Our life today is different from the lives our parents lived, and our parents lives was different from their parents. We must recognize this and allow our children to grow and adapt with our guidance. Mankind must adapt himself to continue to exist in the new world order of evolution. We are able to do this with the child.

Our children at the age of 0 to 3 years old in the Montessori eye are at a crucial and most important stage of development. The child learns to adapt himself to the world out side the womb. He aligns himself to the world around him by exploring and orientating himself to his environment. The child is therefore able to become what he needs to be so that he can survive and thrive! This is why you find the present day digital children able to operate a phone you have not shown them how to use. Some of the functions of the phone you do not know exist they use them to your amazement! Why? They have adapted themselves to the world order. This is how we evolve and get better.

I believe strongly that the damage of controlling the child in the past generations in Africa (Nigeria) is the reason why we are in the mess we are in. We followed the parents and were prepared to live in their time and not ours. Now if we continue this we will burn out our capacity to evolve.

Please parents recognize that children need to explore and understand their world. The work starts from birth. Educators prepare the environment for the children so they can learn and encourage the parents to do the same at home. Government legislators don’t spend all the money on unimportant things. Increase the amount of money and resources into Education. The future of the nation depends on this.

The discussion continues….