Jamaicans Urged to Pool Parenting Skills

A plea has been issued for Jamaicans to pool their parenting skills in a bid to provide proper guidance for the nation’s children.
The call, came from Guidance Councillor at the Marlie Mount Primary and Infant School in St. Catherine, Calvin Harris, at a parenting forum put on by the Ministry of Education’s Region Six in Old Harbour recently.
“In order for this country to go forward, we have to come together as a community – help me raise my child, and I will help you with yours. It’s a community effort; all of us must work together, because if you’re going to do it on your own, you’ll fail. I think Jamaicans need to co-operate in our effort to bring back our nation’s children,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Pastor Robert Edwards, of the New Testament Church, implored the parents to revert to using the time-tested manual for parenting, the Bible, in order to be effective.
“God made the family as the first and foremost primary socialising institution. Our responsibility is to ensure that we enrich the lives of our children in accordance with those important principles that God himself laid down,” he informed the attendees.
“So, I want to challenge you.for what was, and still is, the best method to raise our children, and that is the word of God. So instead of sending them to Sunday school and church, you need to come with them to church,” he stated.
The parenting forum was part of activities by the Ministry to mark Parenting Month in November, under the theme: ‘Parenting: Right From the Start’.