Book Review : Effective Parenting in the 21st Century

 Author :  Prof . Catherine Gachutha

Publisher : Evangelical Publishers 2016

Price : 1500 ksh

By Mary Mwendwa

Effective Parenting – Is an interesting, educative and eye opening book   that gives real life examples on how to raise a child in the modern times. A book that will keep the reader hooked on the chair as they read because it touches on real happenings in the modern society where children are living.

The book which is straight forward and easy to read with 228 pages easily laid out for easy readership helps the reader understand the importance of effective parenting that involves their preparation through training, willingness to be mentored by others, deliberately implementing parenting functions, taking feedback on parenting from their children and other close persons seriously and acting responsibly on it.

It puts in black and white that children require special attention during their formative years; since that is the time the foundation for healthy development is being formed.  As a parent, you are not ready to learn so that you can practice responsible parenting, then you are not worthy being a parent.

Effective Parenting not only is recommended for current parents and guardians who are taking care of children but also potential parents and those that interact with children at large, especially institutions like church, schools, orphanages and rehabilitation and correctional centres.

This book will not only give them information on how to handle children in such kind of facilities but help them to point out stressful situations that need professional input in environments where children are.

For example in Kenya, issues to do with sexual violence among children are on the rise, statics getting high day by day and many people still ignorant of such crimes done against children. As much as there are efforts on awareness, there is a huge gap that needs to be filled by materials to educate and inform like this book, Effective Parenting.

Pegged on Biblical foundation , Prof .Catherine Gachutha who  is a Counselling Psychologist and Counsellor Supervisor,  whose areas of expertise include;   Family and marriage,   Parenting ,   Geriatric counselling,  Stress and burnout as mental health issues,   Alcohol and Drug Abuse  and  Other general Counselling issues,   targets those who are in positions of taking care of children at various status in life.

The book published in 2016 by Evangelical Publishers; Catherine Gachutha ISBN. 978 -9966 -20-266-6 ,  candidly handles topics that would help a caregiver in the 21^st Century give a conducive environment that is not full of abuse and neglect for the child.

Though chapters on ; Basic considerations of parenting, forms of parenthood, parenting across different ages, parenting styles and role modelling, child abuse, discipline and correction for children, dealing with common behaviour problems and shaping your child’s maleness and femaleness, Catherine explores expansively on how a caregiver would handle this kind of topics as they try to bring up a child both in a spiritual, social and emotional manner.

Effecting parenting gives highlights on the family situations like single parenthood, loss of parents and polygamous, same sex relationships that modern children find themselves in.

The writer gives the reader tips on how to handle , spot change in behaviour and mould children while they grow in such kind of family relationships which cannot be ignored in the modern world.

Effective parenting involves your preparation through training, willingness to be mentored by others, deliberately implementing parenting functions, taking feedback on parenting from your children and other close persons seriously and acting responsibly on it. Structural engineers and architects are careful to ensure that buildings they are in charge of have good foundations. Likewise, children require special attention during their formative years; since that is the time the foundation for healthy development is being formed. If, as a parent, you are not ready to learn so that you can practice responsible parenting, then you are not worthy being a parent.

Raising children both boys and girls in teenage age has continuously proved a tough task for guardians and parents who are care givers . Alot of exposure in terms of technology, drug and substance abuse, sex and general liberalization of many structures within the society has put many young adolescents at risk of threats like HIV/AIDS infections, early pregnancies a, drug abuse and criminal activities influence.

Child abuse is one area that the writer pointed out that has serious negative effects to the development as a nation if not well addressed during child growth.” Abused children are a liability to the nation if have not healed from the trauma .” She puts .

As much as the writer gives a lot of information on child abuse areas, sexual abuse has some gaps that need to be addressed. First sexual abuse is a form of crime against the child and is usually handled by several parties before justice if there is any can be availed to the victim. Kenya’s justice system with the constitution giving fundamental rights to everyone has allowed some of the justice systems in regard to child defilement pose a challenge to those handling the cases at the court level. Most perpetrators have had their way out because of laxity in having well-handled forensic evidence that can prove as evident in a court of law while even the security apparatus in some quarters do not understand how to handle this kind of sensitive and fragile situation.

A deliberate effort needs to be done to help children from informal settings, areas where early marriages and Female Genital mutilation practices are common to save these children to allow them be children,

Some of these areas have challenges of access and illiteracy levels , however this can be handled through partnerships with organizations which can help translate of put materials in a way that is relevant to some of these audiences.

In a nut shell, Catherine simply says that caregivers of children need relevant information to protect children from abuse and neglect, such information would come in form such like a book; Effective Parenting.