Family Issues
T
he family is such an intergral part of life and the place where we learn our first lessons and how to interact with others. Shri Babaji encouraged householders to take care of their duties, to love and care for their children, and to keep up their spiritual practice. Babaji loves children and is often pictured with children in His lap. Shri Muniraji is a wonderful example of a loving family man with eight children and now many grandchildren and great grandchildren, who continually takes care of all his duties as well as his daily spiritual practices.
Life in these busy times often becomes challenging for families. We seem to be almost too busy to stop and enjoy the simple joys of living and being together as family. For this reason, we are including this section about families. The first entries are parenting questions and answers that have appeared in the local newpaper for the last year or so. We will also include other helpful ideas for families, so stay tuned.
If you have a question or a topic that you would like covered, just email us at info@Babajiashram.org.
We are here to serve. Bhole Baba Ki Jai!
Parent Talk by Ramloti - December, 2009 |
(Thanks to Bobbi Cecio, co-founder of Village Gate Children's Academy in Encinitas, CA. for input on this article. Bobbi can be reached at Bobbi@IndigoVillage.com)
As our children go to school, many things will come up. There may be times when we question the way the school is handling a particular matter or when the school may be questioning our parenting at home. This is a time to model for our children one of the most important lessons in life. That is the idea of partnership and this is brought about by communication.
Sometimes that means pushing ourselves beyond: our comfort zones; our judgments and opinions; and the places where we would often “give up;” so that we model for our children the qualities of true partnership. Having your child in any school environment will call upon you to actively participate in co-creating that environment both at school and at home. Being partners is easy when all is going well. It can be more difficult when there is something a little more difficult to work through.
Throughout your child’s growing years, he/she will incur several forks in the road. This is completely normal and to be expected. Most often, it is the forks that provide the greatest opportunities for growth. The results of those forks are benefited by the strength of the partnership that exists between home and school. Your child will be searching for and exploring his/her boundaries. That is each child’s job. The job of the adults is to provide guidance to support their ability to find where the boundaries are. If the boundaries at home and school are not consistent with each other then the child may get confused and they may begin to exhibit questionable behavior. Minimally, your child will not be succeeding at his/ her highest potential and you will not be feeling confident as a parent nor with the educators who are engaging with your child.
Does that mean the school has all of the right answers…”No!” It means they have some of the answers. We all bring our past experiences with children, with education and parenting into every interaction and you, the parents, bring your unique understanding of your child. Additionally, your child brings their perspective. When all of these areas work together, the best possible solutions for your child is created. The foundation for such a partnership should be the mutual belief that each party has your child’s best interest at heart. In order to establish this belief, time and energy need to be put into growing the relationship between home and school. Some suggestions for doing so are:
1. Take the time to insure you understand the philosophies of the school’s programs and curriculum.
2. Participate in school meetings and events. Meetings are designed to provide you further knowledge of how the classroom and school operate and to allow you the opportunity to create relationships with your child’s teachers and other parents. School events enrich your experience of the school.
3. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate – Any time you have a question, concern, or idea, make the time to speak to your child’s teacher, an administrator or anyone who can successfully assist you in coming to a conclusion that will work in the best interest of everyone involved. Communication is the cornerstone of a successful relationship.
Last changed: Jan 03 2010 at 5:49 PM
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