Editor’s Note – Parenting
Dear friends and FLA reps,
Is parenting a science or an art? When I was young, I thought that parenthood was only for those who were born with ‘parenting instincts’ which I felt I had none. My own observation of my mum’s parenting style and that of others around me led me to believe that it is an unteachable art. Either you have it or you don’t.
Luckily, I was wrong. Since the birth of my daughter three years ago, and after reading numerous parenting books and attending many parenting talks – I am quite convinced that it is a science. It is a body of knowledge that can be acquired in a structured manner, based on research and studies.
Just last month, I attended a talk titled ‘Understanding the Emotion and Psychology of Your Child’ by one of our family life educators Caroline David. Caroline stressed that to be a good parent, we must understand our children and their needs. She provided an overview of the development process of a child from the age of 7 to 12 and showed how his needs change in various aspects e.g. physical, cognitive and social-emotional.
This made me realise that our children are our masterpieces. If clothes maketh the man, then I dare say parenting skills maketh the children. Happy parenting!
P/S I will take a break from Behind Every Success and hand the baton over to Glenn, who has been my super supportive project manager for the past seven issues. Glenn is a newly minted uncle to a two-month old boy, a dutiful son to his elderly parents and a hip new age single. I’m looking forward to hearing his stories. 
Cheers,
