OUMH1303 ENGLISH FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION

What does it take to be a good parent?

Parenting can be defined as one who begets, gives birth to, or nurtures and raises a
child; a father or mother (The free dictionary, 2013). Apart from that, parenting is the process
of taking care of children until they are old enough to take care of themselves. Parents are
considering as guardians to their children as they will try to do everything for their children
regardless the situation and environment. This is why for some children parent is an angel in
their heart.
However, it is sometimes very difficult to be good parents. This is because good
parents should have variety of qualities and responsibilities towards their children.
Nevertheless, parenting process is the most fulfilling moment and experience in every
parents life. It teaches the parents many things in life. The challenges in raising the children
become a memory to every parent. The go through difficulties and happiness all together.
Every moment they create become meaningful memory to be remember in the future.
Hence, to create this meaningful memory, every parent should take into accounts the
qualities to be a good parent as the lack in parenting skills will affect childrens future. Aside
from that, the way parent guides and teaches the children will determine the future of the
children. They play significant role in childrens life. They are the one who will navigate as
well as draw and colour the personality, character and cognitive ability of the children. They
are the mastermind of all the children development and progress.
Hence, in order to be a good parent, there are several ways that can guide every parent
excellent in parenting activities. Parent should apply and practise all the skills to ensure they
will be able to produce excellent human capital. These including provide unconditional love,
good advice, motivation and encouragement to your children, always puts our children at the
top of our priority, teach responsibility, create togetherness through routine, be a good
listener, respect their interest and wants and setting good example.
Firstly, parents should provide unconditional love to their children. What does it mean
by unconditional love? It means that parents must clever enough to attract their childrens
attention. Children must feel the love and sense of belonging. A warm touch or a caring hug
can let the children know how much the parent really care and love them. Parent shouldnt
ever overlook how important a physical connection is when it comes to the children. If we
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refer to previous cases in Malaysia, most of the children that involved in vandalism, gangster
and other youngster problems are caused by the emptiness that children feel in themselves.
The love that should be spread by the parents does not reach childrens heart. Therefore,
children will feel being ignored by their parents. As the consequences children will find other
ways that can relief their emptiness. Basically, children will easily find the easy way to
release their emptiness by mingle with their friends. If in the case, they made the wrong
choice then the problem mentioned above will occur. For example, parents love their children
by providing enough money to their children. But, parents need to remember money cannot
buy the love yet money sometimes will ruin their childrens life. Children tend to misuse the
money. Hence, to avoid this problem occur, parent should spread the love by always say I
love you. Beside that, parents should always hold their childrens hands. According to Dato
Dr Haji Mod Fadzilah Kamsah, holding someone hands will inject the love. They can feel
they love from the inner side of touching the hands. Hence, parents not just say I love you but
holding their childrens hand and say that they love their children very much. Then,
indirectly, the feeling of love spread in their heart and mind.
Secondly, parents should always advice, motivate and encourage their children in
anything. The most significant ways to guide children is always giving advice and
motivation. Parents should instil positive therapeutic words everyday into their childrens
mind. This is because the spirit words will influence their mind to act accordingly. The
positive energies that the parents bring in the surrounding affect the thinking style, character
development as well as every action taken by children. Other than that, parent should praise
their children. The praise will give them motivation and encouragement to accomplish
something better. With simple word such as very good, excellent actually influence
childrens feeling. For example, parents always ask about their learning progress after school.
What theyve learned in school? Then parents will take initiative to help children to go
through the difficulties they currently faced with. This sense of encouragement will make the
children feel closer with their parents. Hence, it will tie the relationship. In some cases,
parents become good friend to their children. This situation helps creating friendlier
environment at home that can enhance the solidarity between parents and children. Aside
from that, parents should come to childrens school program. When children need them to
come to their school to support them, parent should spend their time to come and always give
full support towards the program. This is because children will feel their parents still

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appreciate them and support them in doing something. This shows that parents are very
affectionate towards their children.
Thirdly, parents must put their children as their top priority. Nowadays, most parents
in typical family tend to focus on their career rather than their family. This is because they
need to earn money to support their family. However, parents should realize that money is
not everything and yet money can ruin a happy family. Therefore, parents should always hold
this precious word Family comes first. Whatever it takes the parents to do something, they
need to realize that family is the most important thing in their life. Meaning to say, parents
should be brave to say No sometimes to the things that come second after family. Aside
from that, the parent should available when the children need them. The moment parent
unable to present when the children need them, they indirectly ruin the childrens trust
towards them. For example, attending children performance at school and attending golf
meeting with friends. This doesn't mean that parents don't care of their society club but they
need to consider which one is the most significant to their life. By doing so, the good
relationship between family members can be created. The harmony and peaceful environment
is guaranteed as well as appreciation is developed.
Fourthly, provide order for our children. Co-operation and understanding in a family
is very essential. To have harmony family, every members in the family need to understand
every persons responsibilities and situation. Family members should feel like there's a sense
of order, logic and co operation to things in their household and in their family life. For
instance encourage responsibility by giving the children jobs to do such as helping them
doing household things. Such activities indirectly teach the children to be responsible. This
value of responsible will developed childrens personality. Other than that, parents should
guide the children from wrong to right so that they can be more independent. Children learn
from mistakes. It teaches the children nobody is perfect and it is okay to do the mistakes as
they will learn something from the mistakes. By doing so, children will be able to learn how
to make their own decisions instead of just follow other direction and decision. Every parent
should provide their children hands on experience as they will learn that every action done
has consequences. It helps them becoming good decision makers and problem solvers. By
doing so, they actually get a sense of being loved and cared about by their parents as they feel
their parent is co-operative enough in helping them go through all the things.

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Fifthly, enforce reasonable rules and regulation. Setting rules and regulation as well as
guidelines are very essential to every parent. It helps the children to develop and grow
without being so strict and has the guideline to follow. However, mistakes are sometimes
allowed by parent as children grow through it. Parent should have realized that their children
must love them more than fears of their rules. In order to enforce the reasonable rules and
regulation, those rules and regulation should be informed and communicated clearly. Parent
needs to explain to their children about the consequences of their actions so that they aware
and familiar with the rules and regulations. This is important because to avoid
misunderstanding in the future and to avoid from the children feel they are being
discriminate. Aside from that, parent should bear in mind that they do not only set reasonable
rules and regulation but they need to enforce reasonably either. This action can help to
nurture and instil the discipline in children. For example, curfew at 11 oclock and no more
heavy activities. By enforcing this rule, children know that they should properly manage their
time as well as they know no more activities after curfew time. Ideally, this will train the
children to obey the rules and regulation set at the early stage. Hence, the discipline of the
children increase in which will help them to do their routine effectively.
Next, create togetherness through routine. Solidarity in family comes from the good
relationship among family members. How to tie good relationship among family members?
Parents should create the activities that can enhance the good relationship between family
members. The activities indirectly will put the family members together and teach the
children to be more responsible towards family. Other than that, doing activities together with
family members will develop the sense of love and be loved among family members. For
example weekend with family, family day and family trip. Members of the family will
mingling with each other either breakfast together, reading books or walking and shopping
together. This situation helps to boost the family bond among family members. Hence, this
routine develops the solidarity in family which can bring harmony and peaceful environment
and situation.
Next, parents should able to become good listeners. Some children want their parent
to listen without as much judgement. Parents should provide opportunity and space to
children to have their own decision. Parents shouldnt easily judge and simply say NO
without prior check the evidence to every action done by children as well as shouldn't just be
there to enforce rules, but to listen to childrens points of view when they are having a
problem. Beside that, parents need to listen to their childrens feelings and reactions to things.
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Also, they need to let them have their own opinions and voice them too. Parent should create
an atmosphere in which children can come to them with a problem no matter big or small
problem. They should look at their child and show them that they are listening to them. For
example parent willingly participate with children problem by listening to their problem and
provide some solution towards the problem. If he or she has to tell the parents, they should
available and seriously shows that they are listening to them. This shows that, parent care
much with children problem. Hence, children will feel meaningful to share the problem with
parents and indirectly they will put their trust to parent. Meaning to say parents are the place
where the children can share their feeling and problem. Other than that, parent should put
themselves in their childrens shoes. They need to consider childrens point of view and
where they are coming from. This action assures that the two ways of communication take
place. This communication is important to ensure both parents and children agreed with both
points of view.
Next, parent should be a good role model. Children have a tendency to become what
they see and hear. Children characters sometimes develop through parents characters. What
parent set now will have the end result at the end. Aside from that, children basically will
imitate what parents do in daily routine. At home, parents will be the teacher who will teach
their children to practise good habit. Whatever parent does at home, they should take into
account that every activity is countable to their children as imitation takes place. Therefore,
parent should show good example to their children as their children will adopt what have
been set by their parents. Show them by example in addition to verbal explanations. Parent
doesnt have to be a perfect person, but they need to act according to the code of ethic,
religious matter and humanity values so that their action is at the correct track. For example,
parent should reproach the children nicely and should include some advice while reproach the
children. They should try to compromise and negotiate with the decision made between them
and the children. This situation shows that parent is good example in making the right
decision. Parent provides children with an opportunity to judge the decision made by them.
Last but not least, respect your children's privacy. As parent has their own privacy and
they dont want their children to interrupt their privacy same goes to children, parent should
respect their privacy either. The action gives the children to have their own space and
freedom. Meaning to say, children have freedom towards themselves. This shows that respect
is very vital in order to create mutual understanding between parent and children. It is very
important to have mutual understanding to sustain the good relationship among family
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members. For example, if parent makes their room is a private place to them, respect the
same with their room. Allow them to feel that once they enter their room they can know that
no one will look through their drawers, or read their diary. This action actually teaches the
children to respect others privacy as well as develop mutual understanding among them. If
the parents against this mutual understanding which children found out that their parent
snooping through their things then it may take him a long time to be able to truly trust you
again. So, respect ones privacy is very important to ensure mutual understanding tied tightly.
As the conclusion, raising a child is not an easy task. Raising a child needs variety
skills, gentle care and careful. With those variety skills, the development of human capital
can be guarantee as this is the nature of being somebody. Parents should aware their main
responsibilities towards children and family as a whole. Their responsibilities are
significantly correlated with their own childrens future. If they are succeed in implementing
those responsibilities a bright light future waiting for the children as well as family as a
whole. This effect indirectly will benefit the family and the society too. Children can
contribute something meaningful to the society which parent can be proud of. Hence, to be a
good parent, parent should fully utilized and apply the good parenting skills as discussed
above.

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Reference:
Oliver Gottschalg. (2005). What Does It Take To Be A Good Parent? Opening The Black-box
of Value Creation in The Unrelated Multibusiness firm. Strategy and Business Policy
Department.

StudyMode.com. Characteristics of a Good Parent. Retrieved 25 May 214, from

http://www.studymode.com/essays/Characteristics-Of-a-Good-Parent-70387.html.

Wpendy, Elizabeth Douglas, Krystle C and Hannah. How To Be A Good Parent. Retrieved
27 May 2014 from http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-Good-Parent.

StudyMode.com. How to Become a Good Parent. Retrieved 02 June, 2014, from

http://www.studymode.com/essays/How-To-Become-a-Good-Parent-1829528.html