Dear Editor,
The celebration of Family Week in Jamaica highlighted just how the family, as a unit, is important to Jamaica. A stable family structure is the very backbone of a stable and progressive society, because a strong family equals to strong nation.
The product of the family becomes the raw material of the society because how an individual is groomed and educated within the early stages of life inherently determines how he or she operates within the realm of society.
From the beginning of time, the family structure consisting of a mother and father was deemed as the ideal parenting strategy. Regardless of a child's gender, the input from both parents is valuable to the proper upbringing of a child. Perspective, values, morals, guidance, love, care are what parents offer, and the contribution from both parents gives an unbiased taste of each of these, which helps to maintain equilibrium in the life of the child and indirectly the society.
Dr Ralph Thompson stated that an increasing number of sibling-headed, visiting relationship, and single-parent families have replaced the original family structures. As is expected, these new family types lack the support and assistance in parenting and cultural socialisation, which were traditionally present in the nuclear and extended family.
Let us continue to cherish the family as a fundamental aspect of society, and let us continue to nurture the ideal structure consisting of one man and one woman who love and cherish each other and are concerned about the holistic growth and development of their children. I encourage all Jamaicans to play their part in making Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, do business and raise families as outlined in our national Vision 2030. In the words of Martin Henry, "We have to fix the family to fix the nation."
Shanique Shand,
The Love March Movement.
lovemarchmovement@gmail.com
Strong families, strong nation!
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The celebration of Family Week in Jamaica highlighted just how the family, as a unit, is important to Jamaica. A stable family structure is the very backbone of a stable and progressive society, because a strong family equals to strong nation.
The product of the family becomes the raw material of the society because how an individual is groomed and educated within the early stages of life inherently determines how he or she operates within the realm of society.
From the beginning of time, the family structure consisting of a mother and father was deemed as the ideal parenting strategy. Regardless of a child's gender, the input from both parents is valuable to the proper upbringing of a child. Perspective, values, morals, guidance, love, care are what parents offer, and the contribution from both parents gives an unbiased taste of each of these, which helps to maintain equilibrium in the life of the child and indirectly the society.
Dr Ralph Thompson stated that an increasing number of sibling-headed, visiting relationship, and single-parent families have replaced the original family structures. As is expected, these new family types lack the support and assistance in parenting and cultural socialisation, which were traditionally present in the nuclear and extended family.
Let us continue to cherish the family as a fundamental aspect of society, and let us continue to nurture the ideal structure consisting of one man and one woman who love and cherish each other and are concerned about the holistic growth and development of their children. I encourage all Jamaicans to play their part in making Jamaica the place of choice to live, work, do business and raise families as outlined in our national Vision 2030. In the words of Martin Henry, "We have to fix the family to fix the nation."
Shanique Shand,
The Love March Movement.
lovemarchmovement@gmail.com
Strong families, strong nation!
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