Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 25, Number 12, 1 December 2008 — Parenting helps [ARTICLE]

Parenting helps

When it comes to drugs, aleohol and criminal behavior, all of our children one day will have to make a ehoiee. That ehoiee ean have life-destroying consequences. Situational and peer pressure often mitigate good sense. It is important that the parent has given his or her children the protection factor they will need to make the right choices. Protection factors are learned, promoted by good parenting skills.

Children must be taught the difference between external and internal "self-esteem." Tolerance promotes selfcontrol. Children heeome aware of cause, effect and consequence through experience, discipline and parental role models. Resilience is the result of selfesteem, tolerance and a healthy, nurturing environment. Although it is a risk factor, poverty alone does not make a criminal. Other risk factors are abuse, neglect and bad role models. Families that have regular outings and promote individual responsibility, cultural awareness and moral values give their children resilience. Miehael Spiker lnmate advocate