Parenting, seems to come in different styles from the strict to the laid back, the first timers to the more experienced. My parents could be described as both, alternating between, strict and laid back-they; both have their days. It is important that in the family there is a diversity in character and personality especially between parents. Two strict parents would lower the child's self esteem to the point where he becomes afraid of his parents and cant open up to them. On the other hand having two parents who are laid back will effectively cause the child/children to lack moral support at home as parents simply wouldn't care. For example, in the case of being bullied the child might not even feel the need to tell anyone about it as he sees that his parents are so relaxed about the situation, to the point of indifference.
Mothers are commonly described as the more important of the parents in terms of the child's welfare. They participate in the less complex aspects of childhood such as the weekly shop and school runs. My mum has changed over the past few years, coming to this land after almost 3 and a half decades spent in her home based country it was evident that she was reluctant to change her ways, especially socially. Even today mum is too cautious in allowing her beloved children go to a friend's house for a prolonged period of time. Through the years she has monitored the teenage culture and has deemed it, on a general level, morally failing. .
The aspects of smoking, drinking and especially loss of virginity are the most emphasised on topics of conversation in the household. Being a teenager herself she has gone through the temptation that smoking, drinking and having sex brings, notably because of peers. Mum is a very spiritual woman and she tries to put God first in all things she does. During our nightly prayer sessions we sometimes learn memory verses and when we go through temptations such as drinking we recite, "Trust in the Lord with all your earth and d not lean unto your own understanding in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your path.
