THE ROLES OF PARENTS AND TEACHERS IN THE CHILD UPBRINGING: IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNSELLING

Abstract

The paper considered the roles of parents and teachers in child upbringing; its counselling implications. The children are naturally unquantifiable gift from God to the parents for wholistic nurturing. The teachers serve as the basic instrument necessary for the realisation of overall children's life goals and objectives. The paper discussed both parental and teachers' roles that enhanced the proper brought up of every child. Some obligations in child's upbringing include; the home obligations, the school, the media, the religious and the government obligatory roles. Some problems of child upbringing among others include; poverty, materialism, broken home/divorce, and lack of fear of God. Implications of improper child upbringing include societal nuisance, mass illiteracy rate, moral decadence, juvenile death, increase in crime rates, among others. Some theoretical approaches were also considered. The counselling approaches should be applied by professional counsellors to assist parents and guardians in their children upbringing. The counsellors should encourage proper child upbringing through television and radio jingles, seminars and workshops, playlets, handbills and drama. Among recommendations provided are, the government should provide financial assistance to schools, take full charge of indigent children education, provide parents with small loans, entrepreneurship skills, educational empowerment, regular advocacy sensitisation to parents and teachers.