COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT IN ADOLESCENCE- HOW PARENTS CAN HELP

At a time when schooling, socialising, shopping and access to some services is dependent on online or digital means, a parent can well expect that the child is no longer an uninformed, ‘opinion-less’ individual who follows orders at home and at school.

The exposure to the virtual world has brought home an individual with perspectives and opinions unique to himself. So where do you fit into this new person’s life? This is someone very different from who you were at that age.

In India, we value children so long as they ‘toe the line’. No one at home or at school will encourage a child to express an opinion- adults believe that anything that comes out of the mouth of a child (even before it does) makes no sense because she hasn’t ‘ seen life’.

You’ll be surprised at how much adolescents know of life today! Encourage your children to have opinions and tell them that having an opposite point of view is alright.

Let’s not nurture robots who follow orders!