It should have been very basic, parenting and education.

However, not all parents are good and definitely not all educations are good.

Parenting should be very easy though, because the basic tip is: LOVE YOUR CHILD. And this comes naturally. One doesn’t have to be a genius to be able to love one’s child. It’s innate, it’s biological, and its chemistry.

Good education is the same thing. Schools or educators should love the student.

Teachers should take care of the student and part of that anatomically knows that student. Knowing what his / her needs are, even if it goes beyond the books. Concerns should also be brought up to the parents so that these could be taken care of at home.

Molding a child into a good adult is both a responsibility of the home and the school.

Another tip for parents, SPEND TIME WITH THE KIDS. A child needs attention. Not to the extent of spoiling them but just enough to make them feel that they are important and loved.

Spend time reading a fairy tale to your daughter before she sleeps or scan through the Spider-Man comics with your boy. Visit the playground every Saturday and hear mass together on Sundays then have lunch at McDonald’s, stroll in the malls. These are very easy tasks and are actually fun to do as well.

The same with schools, teachers should be able to spend an amount of time with each of the students so that they feel important. An American study says that in daycares, the best arrangement is one staff for every three to five children. This, so that the teacher will have enough leeway to get to know each child.

Parents, DON’T PUT DOWN YOUR CHILDREN. Of course children make mistakes, but they don’t need to be criticized and made to feel bad. It is important though that they are told that what they did was wrong, but that they as children, per se, were not wrong.

The same goes for the educators. Children are taught right from wrong in schools, but they should not feel wronged.

With this comes the next step, CHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE SPANKED. Violence does not have a place in school and at home.

Spanking sows fear, it doesn’t elicit respect. Besides, following frustration and anger, if a parent can contain himself / herself, then it is definitely teaching a child self-discipline and control.

As for the educators, they just don’t have the right to do it.

CREATE RULES. Life has rules, legal and otherwise. This is why children should start having them when they are younger. No candies after 8 p.m., which is almost bedtime. No playing after dark. No stealing of toys from playmates. Simple rules, but enforcing these is teaching children discipline and real life.

School has its set of rules as well; no cheating, no fighting, no cutting classes.

SECURE YOUR CHILDREN. Kids should feel that they are safe so that it would be okay for them to live life, and they would not be afraid to explore their potential. Kids have simple fears, lightning, and the monster in the closet. Even with those, parents should see to it that children feel protected.

The same with schools. However, mostly, it is the parents who are concerned with their children’s safety in school after various shooting incidents happening in schools: the 1999 Columbine High School shooting, 2007’s Virginia Tech shooting and a hostage-taking at an Amish schoolhouse in 2006.

But of course, because of these incidents, schools have taken the necessary steps to prevent other similar incidents.

Another tip for parents, REWARD YOUR CHILDREN. In school, students who study get good grades and that’s a good enough reward. If they behaved in school, then they’ll probably get a star.

However, at home, rewards come in handy for children to do their chores. Even so, rewards are not always material things. It could be a pat in the back or a simple, “Good job!”

It is a big leap of maturity of deciding or prioritizing things to begin with. Probably, many of us made many sacrifices during our college days, but then it was done to help ourselves, which is to achieve a degree in college. I was grateful enough to have one, and forever I will keep it.

Cherish, treasure, value, adore and be proud of such an achievement. Certainly, this is also one of the greatest gifts to give to our parents. They all wanted what is best for us, or perhaps they just want an end for giving us our allowances but still, they simply want us to look after ourselves or to stand for ourselves in the end. Their decisions may contradict to ours, or many times we don’t agree with them resulting to conflicts and misunderstandings to both parties but in spite of this, we just have to listen and follow them for they know what is best for us.

With all the knowledge and experiences, we have learned during our school days, it plays a big part in our lives. In the sense that if we now put them into practice, we will definitely find a stable job, and if we do better and excel, we can even go further. That is how important education is. Not only do we help ourselves but also are able to help others. It is the cycle of life, as our parents have provided us with all the needs, so as we to follow their footsteps. Time will come where we will have a family of our own. By this time, we are strong enough not just to look after ourselves but also to look after our family. We make important decisions and in every decision we make, we see to it that it is for the good of the whole family and not just for ourselves. We play the most vital role and that is by being the role model to our children. We are to guide them to the right path as they undergo the different stages of their lives. Just as our parents have guided us, so as we to do the same to our children. By the time our children will be entering the school life, we are to show and teach them the significance of education.

I can still picture out my mom and dad’s face during my graduation as I walked down from the stage after receiving my diploma. I can see in their faces, tears of joy and fulfillment. It was like they were the ones who climbed up the stage. So many words to describe their feelings that day but one thing I’m sure of—-I have given them the greatest gift, and that is fulfilling my parent’s dream to finish my education.