Any hard working person can attest to the fact that life is growing increasingly

more difficult, and it was never easy to begin with. Globalization may have its

benefits, but it has also increased employment competition, an issue which has

been further compounded by the recent global economic meltdown.

As a publication on education, it is the impact of these harried times on our

children’s academic wellbeing that is of concern to us. Children need stability in

order to flourish, and they need patience and restraint in order to develop. Despite

their hectic schedules, parents today must take care to afford their children the

quality time and the focused monitoring required for the young ones to excel in

their education.

Everything we do is for the welfare of our families, and allowing our busy lives and

the demands of our professions to harm that delicate balance effectively defeats

the purpose of work. Rushing through a review of our children’s grasp of their

lessons, or quickly solving the problems for them because we are “pressed for

time” is a recipe for disaster, while failing to take part in school events or writing off

educational outings with our kids is no less harmful.

A parent isn’t someone who brings a child into the world and then pays for

everything the child needs, but rather someone who becomes a source of strength,

understanding and support while the child develops into an adult. If the world has

grown more difficult for us adults, it has grown far more daunting for our children.

Now more than ever we must make every effort to make sure they feel safe and

secure in the knowledge that their parents will always be at hand to give them

the encouragement they need and a nudge in the right direction when required.

More importantly, they can become self-reliant and capable of tackling problems

on their own not if we neglect them, but rather through our presence, constant

monitoring, support and interaction.

By Ave Tavoukjian