30 Mar 2023

Miss Botswana Lesego Chombo has urged parents to embrace positive parenting, which focuses on teaching good behaviour by using kind and firm ways to discipline.

Speaking during an engagement session with parents at Somelo on Tuesday, Chombo said by embracing positive parenting, guardians were ultimately supporting their children to excel in their studies despite living in remote areas.

She also emphasised the importance of motivating children to take their studies seriously to help them achieve their career dreams.

The reigning queen is on a mission to implement her project, The Genesis, which aims to create a conducive environment for economically challenged children through a development programme that empowers parents with skills development.

The project also aims to bridge the upbringing gap between the environment of children in remote and urban areas.

As such, she was accompanied by experts in different fields such as social work, psychology, teaching and medical doctors to impart knowledge and empower parents.

“Through my project, I want to make a positive impact on children who grow up in rural areas as they are far from services.

I saw it fit to first engage parents and encourage them to give their children a good start in life. That is why I brought different experts to empower them on parenting techniques so that they raise their children in a loving manner and teach them to face life courageously,” she said.

Ms Chombo said a child who grew up in a healthy family did better at school despite the location of their homestead.

Her team noted that positive parenting techniques worked well in raising disciplined children with good moral values.

They agreed that parents played a crucial role in their children’s development, adding that having supportive parents was also important to children’s academic success.

A Guidance and Counselling teacher, Mr Tebogo Mogaetsho noted that parents had a key role in setting a good example for their children and guiding them towards positive, healthy habits and routines.

He said the way parents treated their children contributed a lot to how they felt about themselves.

Mr Mogaetsho also urged parents to learn to understand the needs of their children, engage them in dialogues and listen to their concerns and work together towards a solution.

A psychologist, Ms Grace Thakadu advised parents to create a good relationship with their children.

Every child, she said, was unique and had a talent that needed to be supported.

She urged parents to stop using vulgar language when reprimanding children or talking to them in a disrespectful manner, saying the wrong words could influence them to be rebellious.

After a session with parents, Chombo engaged with pupils at Somelo Primary School through art activities ranging from painting, playing a guitar, singing and drawing to improve their confidence.

The Standard Six and Seven learners were drilled on careers and skills needed in the economy now and beyond.

Chombo revealed in an interview that the arts could have a big impact on children’s development as they helped them develop valuable skills.

She said the idea was to prove to youngsters that despite growing from low socio-economic status or far from services, they could use their talents to pursue the arts.

She said making use of children’s free time with constructive and positive activities could also help decrease risky behaviour.

Pupils were sensitised on how different subjects such as Design and Technology, Artwork and Literature could shape their careers in the creative sector.

They were also taught about unhealthy behaviours, which comprised physical health, psychological and emotional stability as well as social engagement. ENDS