Parental Responsibility
By Nigel Lane
Children are not easy to raise, they do not come with any guidelines and they most definitely do not come with any kind of pause button. They just come with a whole lot of emotional and physical needs. If parents fail to meet their needs, it often has lasting effects on them. If you are a parent, the law holds you responsible for the way you bring up your child. Parenting goes beyond merely feeding and clothing your children.

Parenting involves providing a safe environment for their growth, providing for their basic needs, allowing them to develop their own identity, nurturing their self esteem, installing moral and social values, respecting them, educating them, spending time with them etc.

Parenting does not only require love and affection but also discipline. You need to draw the line for your children. You need to shout at them when they are wrong. It may break your heart to say no to something for

them but you need to do it. Being a good parent does not mean you have to give in to everything they ask for. You need to learn to give them what they need and not only what they want.

Parental responsibility does not only belong to the mother or father, if the parents are married, the responsibility lies equally with both the mother and the father.

Having parental responsibility basically means that you as a parent have the right to make important decisions regarding medical treatment and education etc for your child.

In many countries parental responsibility lies with both parents only if they are married, if they are divorced, the parental responsibility lies only with the mother. Should the mother die, the parental responsibility does not automatically pass over to the father. The courts will first consider it and than hand over the child to the person it feels will best take care of the child.