With so much negative influence in today’s world, it’s really no easy task for any parent to raise happy, healthy and intelligent children.

In our household, my kids are always taught to be kind and respectful to others. As a working mum, I make time after dinner to relax with the kids and give them the opportunity to open up. They can speak of any issues or events that happened during the day, and sometimes that means settling differences they have had and asking for forgiveness before going to bed.

I truly believe the foundation of every successful relationship is to always stay positive and to keep the lines of communication with your family open. I would encourage parents to set aside time in their busy schedule to get to know their kids better and love them unconditionally.

When children know in their hearts that no matter what they do, their parents will always love and accept them, it makes all the difference in the world. Such assurance gives them the freedom to become whomever they aspire to be.

Below are some tips I’d loved to share in raising intelligent and responsible kids:
• I feel we should treat our kids like we would treat our best friend, only ten times better.
• Point out their good qualities and praise them for even their smallest of accomplishments.
• I always tell them that it is okay to fail. I feel that when children are encouraged despite their shortcomings, they will not fear failure but view it as an experience to learn from.
• To understand my kids better, I always ask them why they love what they love and hate what they hate.
• I tell my kids not to be afraid to show emotion, whether it is crying or laughing. Suppressing emotions will cause them to be emotionally confused and less confident of themselves.
• Tell them that they can always talk to you about anything, even the birds and the bees… and mean it.
• Always celebrate their birthdays. I t does not have to be expensive, just to let them know that I will always celebrate the day they were born into this earth and came into our lives, marking it as a day of great happiness and joy.
• I always challenge my kids to try new things and help them reach their full potential.
• I believe in nurturing their creative spirits by showing them how we can use creativity in our everyday lives – to juggle our work, family schedules and solve problems. For example, to encourage reading, I ’d turned the words in a book into song lyrics, create a tune and sing them instead.

My kids are also encouraged to come up with creative things to do on their own, like offering ideas on entertainment for a particular family event. They can put up elaborate puppet shows, sing or dance for relatives. I believe providing such opportunities will help them mature into intelligent, capable adults.

• When I ’m with my kids, I give them my undivided love and attention. The children will feel they’re important in your life, which helps to build their self esteem and confidence. They will listen to you and are less likely to misbehave.
• Lastly, I believe that discipline is necessary in every household as it helps the children understand boundaries and limitations, as well as your expectations. I t will also help them develop self-control.

Noraini Sujuddin, mother of four