What is the role of parents in kids’ education?

Kids education is indispensable in today’s world. So, what is parents role in child education? Positive encouragement is the key here. Give them a dream. A dream they want to grow to. Study and understand their personality - some are good at academics, some at sports, some at creativity, some at social networking. After recognizing their interest, set the goal accordingly.

Once the purpose is clearly understood, action will follow. Explain then the importance of education amicably, have a reward system, encourage them. Param Pujya Dadashri’s guidance has solved the day to day conflicts and confusions of many parents for child education. Read on to know in detail.

How to motivate a child to study: Turning the playful ones to studies

Questioner: Today's children seem to be more interested in playing, than their schoolwork. How can we guide them towards education without creating any conflict?

Dadashri: Start a reward system. Tell them you will give them so much for getting good grades at school and passing all their exams. Give them some incentive. If they see immediate positive reinforcement, they will seize the opportunity. Another approach is to love them unconditionally. If you give them love, they will do what you tell them. Children readily listen to me and will do whatever I tell them. We should always try our best to give them the right understanding. We should never give up on them. We should make all the efforts. After that whatever they do is correct, and you should accept that it was meant to be.

Importance of Kids Education

Questioner: What should be the goal of educating children?

Dadashri: To ensure that he does not get onto the wrong path. Where does an uneducated person go? An uneducated person has free time, so where does he go? He will get involved with hooligans. Education provides some stability and the children also acquire humbleness (vinaya) naturally through education. They learn how to adjust to people. Development happens as a result of increase in kids education. Undue obstinacy (duragraha) and undue disputes come to an end.

Along with education, practical wisdom is necessary

Dadashri: One who is preoccupied in only studying is considered a learned fool (vediyo). But children of today have no awareness. All they do is study, study and study, they have not understood practical wisdom. They only study; they do not have practical wisdom. But in my time, education and practical wisdom went on together. And today, there is only education and even that is only in one field, then, of course it is easy to learn! What else do they have to do? Education for children today is all theoretical; it is not practical. It is only official once it becomes practical.

Param Pujya Dadashri says that understanding is fundamental. Give the children the right knowledge and leave the rest in the hands of nature.

Here are a few more tips for the parents to guide their children towards education:

• You can first find his interest, not your wish - like you want him to be active in sports but he wants to be creative with science, computer programming or music.
• Start with a small step at a time.
• Try talking to him calmly to find out the reason, ‘why he is not interested in studies’ and if possible, ask him how it can be solved. He will become good when you give him love.
• Once in a while you should simply pat the child gently or stroke his hair and tell him that come what may you are always by his side and express them that marks are important but he is far more important.
• Also, don’t compare them, it will discourage them. Comparison creates pain and negative feeling towards the situation and another person.
• Not only for kids education, but you could use encouragement and rewards for any new beneficial thing you want him to start.