The role of parents is to provide love, care and attention to their offspring, however, less understood is that parents are also teachers. We seem to have become used to the idea that other people, TV and books will take the responsibility for teaching our children, when in fact parents are the most important source of education for their young. Children need guidance and instruction, it is no coincidence that children who grow up without positive role models are most at risk for falling into patterns of anti-social behaviour. You should take this responsibility as seriously as you do putting food on the table.

Successful parents recognise their children's inbuilt drive for discovery. They encourage children to observe the world and engage with everything that is good and interesting about it. Children are like little scientists, who have a need to observe and experiment in a world laboratory. Children think without limits and beyond the adult world of constraints. It is only when we become older that cynicism sets in, our view of the world becomes jaded , and people begin to lose the sense of wonder about the world which once captivated them.

Children spend a lot more of their time close to the ground, which partly accounts for their interest in bugs and creepy crawlies. The best way for children to learn is through direct experience. This is especially true for young children, but it applies for any age group. Children learn how to learn. If this sounds like gobbedly-gook then think about it this way, children who are taught to actively seek out new experiences will adopt a different learning pattern than a child who is used to being spoon fed information.

No book using words and illustrations to describe the natural world is compensation for the real thing. Children have a natural desire to be outdoor, exploring, climbing trees, and seeing animals. Ask yourself how many of your cherished memories as a child come from times you spent outdoors.Take the time to introduce your children to the natural world. If you live in an urban area, then make time to visit a park or nature reserve. Children are fascinated when they are a t a young age. As the child gets older, begin to point out familiar things. by small things.

Little children want to be part of your world. Children will often make no distinction between work and play if it involves activity with adults. The best way to encourage your child to be learning new skills is to demonstrate it stage by stage, such as the steps involved in tying shoe laces, and then repeat the areas again at a quicker speed. Think about each step and how you can make it simple to follow. Explain each step with just a few words as you demonstrate it, so your child concentrates on what you are doing rather than what you are saying. Then let your child practice until she is competent at each stage. Learning to ride a bicycle is a good analogy. When children are ready, parents often give them a tricycle, and let them learn how to mount and dismount, how to steer, and how to work the pedals. As safe as tricycles are, they usually do not have brakes, and we are careful where we let our children ride them. Eventually the time comes when children ask for a "big kid's bike

Try to look at the world from your child's perspective. Set clear boundaries and carefully constructed guidelines. If you allow them to learn to do things for themselves, the will attain a new level of self-respect and confidence. Independence