The International Indian School Jeddah – Girls Section (IISJ-GS) held its third “Mothers' Awareness Program” – a seminar for mothers meant to help them understand the social behavior of children, solve their common problems and to bridge the gap between the teachers and the parents – in the school premises Wednesday. The seminar looked at all aspects of a child's life that may ultimately contribute to his academic performance. “The program seeks to increase awareness among the mothers regarding important child-related issues. Such programs give us the opportunity to work with the parents on the common goal of promoting the healthy growth of children,” said Farhadunnisa, IISJ vice principal. She said parents, especially mothers, should attend such programs so that they can help the teachers to solve problems related to their children in school. Guest speaker Dr. Aparna Kumaran, who has an MD and PhD in physiology guidance and counseling, discussed the various aspects and methods of positive parenting. “We need to be trained in parenting, which becomes easier when parents use the right parenting tools. The parents or the mother alone is the best counselor for the child; the teacher comes next, and if your child still needs assistance, a professional counselor must be sought,” said Kumaran. She discussed the different types of parenting styles, namely, authoritarian, permissive, authoritative and uninvolved, advising that parents should use a “logical mix of all styles according to the need of the situation.” Kumaran demonstrated with a visual act performed by Ishrat Un Nisa and K. Nasreen the common problems of children and their possible solutions. Farhadunnisa spoke about the day-to-day behavioral problems teachers face at school and gave suggestions on how to solve them. She also stressed on the role of a mother in her daughter's life. “Children in the age group of five to nine need the maximum parental guidance and love. Most students in this age group come to the school without a proper breakfast and end up eating junk food. This has an adverse effect on the child's concentration skills in the class resulting in his poor performance as well as malnutrition,” explained Farhadunnisa. “Between the ages of ten to thirteen,” she continued, “children are confused with their physical growth and development. They have a lot of questions in their minds. As parents and teachers, we should seek to answer those questions by getting closer to them and give them all the confidence they need.” The informative seminar ended with a vote of thanks delivered by Mariya Ramaswamy.
