Children’s Basic Needs; Their Rights_ by: Chukwuebuka C. Oguocha

Giving required attention to the needs or desires of children, whether, directly or indirectly, are duties mindful, and potential parents can’t shy away from. To have a child or children, a person, or couple must have prepared their minds, to readily take up the daunting responsibilities involved in parenting, as the obligatory roles to be played as parents appears to be somewhat intimidating and tedious.

Raising children, aside other things, ultimately means providing them with their basic needs, with intention of preparing them to lead an invaluable life in future, or during adult hood, which would definitely leave the parents fulfilled
“… with intention of preparing them to lead an invaluable life in future, or during adult hood, which would definitely leave the parents fulfilled. “

The essence of this piece is to bring to the knowledge of especially, parents and prospective parents, the expectant obligation of parents towards their children, as it concerns the provision of their essential basic needs, which is logically their undeniable rights, as their child hood state naturally demands.

Briefly, it will be important and beneficial to highlight some of the basic needs of children, which every potential parents must strive to provide in the business of child upbringing if a child must be marked outstanding in their later days, with parents being fulfilled.

Security: The security or safety of a child, even when he or she is out of the parent’s reach at some time, begins with the initial efforts put in by the parents to proffer him or her with safety measures when necessary, which should be continually, till such child is well acquainted with the system to be able to cope out of the parent’s watch and reach.
As a basic survival needs, parents who desire the safety of their children should provide them with; shelter, clothing, food, medical care, as these will shield them from any unfortunate harm.

Stability: It is advisable, for parents to be consistent in their introduction and impartation of required values, necessary for proper child upbringing, which a child will definitely live on with. Instability, in the infusion of necessary values, due to neglects caused by some factors would likely affect a child’s future, as vacuums could be left in that aspect.
Therefore, parents should synchronize their parenting efforts, as synergy proffers better results.

Emotional Support: One of the key basic needs children should never be denied of is, emotional support. Lack of emotional support to children would likely affect them negatively, as it has the potential to affect their mental development, and lower their self-esteem and independence stage; except there is quick external intervention.
As prospective parents, and parents with good intentions to build enviable future for your prospective children, and existing children, it is wise to mind your choice of words and actions towards your wards. Make your words and actions, the type that shows encouragement, trust, and respect; even when they must have messed of failed in a task.

Education: Apart from education acquired from the conventional institutions of learning, it is also pertinent to acquaint your children with invaluable life lessons, which will be a plus to their learning process, and will in turn make them stand out among their peers, who lack such areas of learning.
Positive Role Model: The first ever role model a child should naturally have, is his or her parents. The mother like daughter, or father like son assertion fits in here, as the attitude of a child can be a mark to tell whose child he or she could be.
Parents should therefore, be the kind of person they sincerely want their children to be, even if it means acting it in their presence, because children are the representative of their parents outside the parent-child scope, who will either bring grace or disgrace to them.

“…children are the representative of their parents outside the parent-child scope, who will either bring grace or disgrace to them.”

Structure: In a family where every activities is determined by a laid down structure or system, intentionally developed to guide the day to day affairs of every member; children from such background could be seen perceived differently, judging from their display of attitudes.
Parents should out rightly establish, rules, boundaries, and limits, purposely introduced to guide and guard, especially activities of children. Without these rules, children are bound to be adults before time, lose respect for you and others.

Love: Love is one paramount ingredient, as well as essential needs, parents should never deny their children, as this can be likened to the sweetener of every existing relationship, apart from parent-child relationship. Love can overcome every other parenting measures, as the success of every other mentioned basic needs is sure when love is employed.

No doubt, growing and developing kids are bound to exhibit some provocative and irritating attitudes, tempting enough for parents to lose it, which is their nature as creatures that deserves attention and directions. With these in mind, parents should learn to tolerate, when their wards anger, disobey, rebel, and frustrate them.

To assume a break from this discuss, please, read, like, comment and share to as many friends, who you probably will be helping, for better reasons to bring more your way.

A close look at the aforementioned needs from parents to children, it can be deduced that from conception to the point children are observing growth and development process, these needs are mated to every stage, as a natural obligation of the parents, until adult or independent stage.

The fact that parents are expecting, or has a physical existing children to cater for, has generated an impulse, or driving force to see to the upbringing of those children, which on the other hand means the provision of the discussed basic needs. This undoubtedly, could be said to be the right bestowed upon the children to enjoy, which the parents have no course to deny them of it;, funny enough, nature has its ways of rewarding us.

Therefore, as parents if you fail to attend to these basic needs, you create bigger problems for selves, and you are bound to suffer the consequences; contrary to this you will be fulfilled as your past efforts attracts great rewards in future.