Creating a healthy environment at home

Editor: Creating a healthy environment at home is essential to the development of children. This month being considered Child’s Month and also with the rising crime, it is important that such a topic be looked at, since the home is a breeding ground for well-disciplined children and also criminals.{{more}}

In creating a healthy environment at home, it is important that Christ become the centre of the home. Gone are the days when every child was taught to pray, go to Sunday School and church. There was a high emphasis on spiritual awareness in days gone; now we have lost that. Thus, it is time we bring Christ back into the home.

Charity must not only be talked about in the home, but must be demonstrated and felt by every member of the family. When children do not experience love at home, they go outside to find it. Many times they end up either in the wrong company or sometimes doing wrong things to gain attention. It is, therefore, the responsibility of every parent to show love to their children and also let there be love amongst the spouses. Children learn from what they see and so, when spouses are not showing love to each other, it has a negative effect them. However, when children are shown love and appreciation at home, they grow up having self-worth and good self-esteem. As a result, they would not be so easily influenced by peers and society, in the wrong way.

Communication also is very important in creating a healthy environment. This would involve compliments, as well as criticism. Far too often parents fail to talk with their children. The children are then left on their own, so the television, cell phones and the Internet become their communicator. Many times parents fail to compliment a child when something good is done, but instead would always criticize when a mistake is made. When such a practice is carried out, the child feels that he/she cannot please their parents. They look at themselves as no good and thus have a low self-esteem. This can lead to a child developing a negative attitude and in the quest to gain attention and lift his/her self-worth he/she gets involved in crime. Whereas, when compliments are given, that child feels good about him/herself and is confident and well adjusted. The attitude is good and the child is disciplined, knowing that he/she is a good person.

Finally, choices are important in creating a healthy environment. In today’s world, many parents allow their children, without guidance, to do as they please. It is often said that you have to give them their freedom to make their own choices. While this is so, guidance from parents must be given. Sometimes a parent has to put his/her feet down on certain choices. Far too often, children are left on their own to do as they please. However, in a healthy environment at home, discussion would be made on choices that a child is about to make. The choices arrived at, by the end of those discussions, would be in the best interest of the child.

In closing, correction or discipline is necessary if a child has to be raised properly. Discipline must be done in love, not in anger, spite or frustration. When this is done in love, the child will learn and respect the parents. That child would also be a well disciplined individual, as Proverbs 22: 6 encourages us to do.

Let us return to God as a nation. Let us put Christ back into our lives and our homes and I am certain that we would see a reduction in crime and a healthier environment at home. God bless SVG.

Kennard King