Who is a child? A child is a gift for a married couple from the Creator. A family seems to be incomplete without a child. According to UNICEF, every human being under 18 years is a child, and their development depends on the parents’ nursing. Hence, it is important to know your child in a true sense. But how many of us actually know our child? We all experienced disastrous COVID-19 and this could be an appropriate time to know our children. Instead of talking about the flaws of online classes, screaming for results etc., fathers could have spent some time with their children. It was a golden opportunity to make up the distance between a father and a child. Generally, children are not as friendly with their father as they are with their mothers. A father’s warm hug, true guidance, and attention mean a lot.

But it seems that many parents often neglect small aspects of their children as they are not much aware of their affairs. For example children often face many problems in their school life such as bullying. But are we bothered about whether our children are being bullied or not when we are sending them to schools for education?

There are different types of bullying that children face. Physical bullying is one of the most common in our society. A victim of bullying must be dealt with sympathetically and should also be taught to report immediately. Besides, motor and sensory development, lack of time management, and digital typing are also some other noticeable issues that commonly children face. Children nowadays frequently use electronic devices. We have to make sure that children do not get addicted to electronic devices.

Furthermore, a child can suffer from any significant disorder. “Dysmorphia” is a kind of disorder (neurological condition) that makes handwriting challenging, like difficulty in spacing things, frequent easing, and unusual wrist or paper position when writing. Instead of blaming the child, the parents should address the issues and engage them in creative work or extra-curricular activities. For bad pencil grip and fatigue in their hands, practicing cursive handwriting and holding the pencil comfortably would work out. Children mostly prefer to do things that make them happy.  We have to spend more time with our children to know whether any unusual things happened to them in school, at home, or in the playground. Being a parent is a huge responsibility. We should stop blaming our children. Instead, we should show them the right path.

We should not grieve saying, ‘Why is he/she so naughty? Or why is the child not doing work regularly and not writing in school?’ For children aged between seven and eighteen, even issues like what to do, when to do etc. may be big issues. Every child has individuality. According to the shape of their fingers, you should provide them with a pencil. Teach them the difference between good and bad touch. Before selecting a house tutor, take an interview; and observe his habits. Abusive language could be another thing that troubles a child.

When they ask a question to enrich their stock of knowledge, why should a family member or teacher feel disturbed? How many of us tell bedtime stories to our children? They would spend quality time with their grandchildren and also help them to grow up with morals. Nowadays, Grandparents are not allowed to raise their concerns or even tell a bedtime story. 

An incomplete diary might be another reason. We should teach our children to write the date and time in their diaries before they join the class the next day and thereby, they learn time management and the habit of writing a diary is adopted. Following this method, they would learn a spacing technique which is an advantage for students. There will be no discrimination regarding choosing colors between children. 

Bangladesh is a unique country blessed with six seasons in a year. However, it is a regular phenomenon in our classrooms that children are openly sneezing and coughing without taking any precautions with a napkin or tissue paper. They just clean the diseases with their hands or clothes thereby spreading the diseases to the next one. Monitoring is important so that a child’s naughtiness does not turn into bullying.  Some parents also have a misconception that only English medium and English version schools can increase their children’s fluency in English language. Actually, the atmosphere of the home, reading English story books, watching English cartoons, English conversation at the dining table, and watching movies may also accustom them to the language.

Well-educated children are the backbone of a society. Our children are our assets. Their upbringing and bright future are important. So, good planning, monitoring and implementation will play a vital role in this regard. It is not about competition but a healthy upbringing. And knowing your child in the true sense of its nature would prove to be beneficial.

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The writer works as an Invigilator, British Council, Dhaka