By: Sean and Rachel Russell
Let us first introduce ourselves. We are Sean and Rachel Russell, but for the last decade and a half we have been fondly known as Uncle Sean and Aunty Rachel. This is not due to our ages but the fact that we both started working with children as teenagers, 16 years old and 11 years old respectively. Now I am sure that you can guess that we love children.We both share a passion for seeing children develop as they should and becoming the world changers of tomorrow.
We wanted to have at least 4 children and there was at a point of time in our lives that we were actually fostering 6 children (between the ages of 12 months to 14yrs) full time. We know, crazy right, especially in this day and age, but for us there is no greater joy than being a father and mother and seeing children walk into their destiny.
In the first few years of marriage, we were advised by the doctors that we could not have children and so we resolved ourselves to adoption. But before we could’ve formally entered the adoption process, God blessed us with our miracle. Naomi Zoé Russell has given us the greatest gift anyone could give us; the gift of becoming parents. Through our plethora of experiences there are two lessons that we have learnt that we believe is fundamental to a child’s development.
Let us first introduce ourselves. We are Sean and Rachel Russell, but for the last decade and a half we have been fondly known as Uncle Sean and Aunty Rachel. This is not due to our ages but the fact that we both started working with children as teenagers, 16 years old and 11 years old respectively. Now I am sure that you can guess that we love children.We both share a passion for seeing children develop as they should and becoming the world changers of tomorrow.
We wanted to have at least 4 children and there was at a point of time in our lives that we were actually fostering 6 children (between the ages of 12 months to 14yrs) full time. We know, crazy right, especially in this day and age, but for us there is no greater joy than being a father and mother and seeing children walk into their destiny.
In the first few years of marriage, we were advised by the doctors that we could not have children and so we resolved ourselves to adoption. But before we could’ve formally entered the adoption process, God blessed us with our miracle. Naomi Zoé Russell has given us the greatest gift anyone could give us; the gift of becoming parents. Through our plethora of experiences there are two lessons that we have learnt that we believe is fundamental to a child’s development.
Lesson 1:
It is important that both parents are active in a child’s life. While we all have different family dynamics, it is imperative that the child feels that active participation from both parties. Dads have their roles and Moms have their roles.
Mom is the nurturer. She makes the sacrifices to ensure that her child becomes who they are supposed to become. She is their biggest cheerleader and sets up life so that it can accommodate them achieving their dream. A mother is more than someone who cooks and cleans, she is someone who believes and speaks life into her children to achieve that which may seem impossible.
Dad is the foundation. Several studies have shown that a strong, positive male influence on a child’s life leads to children being psychologically and emotionally healthier. While mothers can beg and whine for things to go a particular way, a good father only has to speak once and action takes place.
The following is an excerpt from the Child Welfare in the USA on the importance of the father’s role.
“One of the most important benefits of a positive relationship between mother and father is the behaviour it models for children. Fathers who treat the mothers of their children with respect and deal with conflict within the relationship in an adult and appropriate manner are more likely to have boys who understand how they are to treat women and who are less likely to act in an aggressive fashion toward females. Girls with involved, respectful fathers see how they should expect men to treat them and are less likely to become involved in violent or unhealthy relationships.”
We expect that some may would view this principle with scepticism, but having been around children for the last 18 years we are now able to recognize those children in which both parents are actively involved in their lives from those whose parents are not. From our experience they perform better at school, are generally happier children, can socialise better and are basically a more whole person.
Mom is the nurturer. She makes the sacrifices to ensure that her child becomes who they are supposed to become. She is their biggest cheerleader and sets up life so that it can accommodate them achieving their dream. A mother is more than someone who cooks and cleans, she is someone who believes and speaks life into her children to achieve that which may seem impossible.
Dad is the foundation. Several studies have shown that a strong, positive male influence on a child’s life leads to children being psychologically and emotionally healthier. While mothers can beg and whine for things to go a particular way, a good father only has to speak once and action takes place.
The following is an excerpt from the Child Welfare in the USA on the importance of the father’s role.
“One of the most important benefits of a positive relationship between mother and father is the behaviour it models for children. Fathers who treat the mothers of their children with respect and deal with conflict within the relationship in an adult and appropriate manner are more likely to have boys who understand how they are to treat women and who are less likely to act in an aggressive fashion toward females. Girls with involved, respectful fathers see how they should expect men to treat them and are less likely to become involved in violent or unhealthy relationships.”
We expect that some may would view this principle with scepticism, but having been around children for the last 18 years we are now able to recognize those children in which both parents are actively involved in their lives from those whose parents are not. From our experience they perform better at school, are generally happier children, can socialise better and are basically a more whole person.
Lesson 2:
It is not only important that the both parents are active in the child’s life but that they are active together. It is necessary for children to see parents interacting positively together and having fun with them. There is such a sense of security and love that a child experiences in these situation which provides that boost in their development. While we understand that all parents are not married and living in the same home, there is a conscious effort that can be made to do activities together. Even if as the saying goes - you cannot stand the best bone in each other’s body - and may feel that you are total opposites, there is one thing that you do have in common and that is your child.
Let us not focus on our personal feelings and focus on what is best for our children. We want to encourage families to do activities together that will encourage positive interaction. We are blessed with lovely weather for most of the year, lots of public holidays and long weekends. Go for drives and discover our country. Do hikes and nature trails together. Go to the beach, pool or waterpark. Take a walk on the boardwalk or around the many savannahs in various parts of the country. There are so many things that can be done in our nation to encourage family time.
We recently visited Fun Splash Waterpark in Debe and had a wonderful time. It was perfect for us because there was an area that was specifically designed for Naomi’s age and upon ensuring that she was being safely supervised, was still able to have some adult fun. As business owners it can always seem difficult to set the time to spend quality time with our daughter. But understanding how important it is for her development we make the time because she is our top priority. We encourage you to do the same. Make your children your top priority. They need you. Yes you need to work to provide, but they need your presence to survive. So we challenge you to do a family activity at least twice a month and eat dinner together at least once a week and let us know if you saw any changes in your child’s development. And if you are a family that engages in these activities regularly write to us and give us some ideas on what type of activities that you use to engage your kids. You can email us at [email protected] and we will print your entries in our next issue.
Well it’s about that time where we wrap up this article. We are actually planning a trip to the zoo today because our almost 2 year old daughter is convinced the Old Mc Donald has a lion and a monkey on his farm. So we are taking the time to show her where they really do live. =)
Until next time and remember the best thing about memories is making them.
We recently visited Fun Splash Waterpark in Debe and had a wonderful time. It was perfect for us because there was an area that was specifically designed for Naomi’s age and upon ensuring that she was being safely supervised, was still able to have some adult fun. As business owners it can always seem difficult to set the time to spend quality time with our daughter. But understanding how important it is for her development we make the time because she is our top priority. We encourage you to do the same. Make your children your top priority. They need you. Yes you need to work to provide, but they need your presence to survive. So we challenge you to do a family activity at least twice a month and eat dinner together at least once a week and let us know if you saw any changes in your child’s development. And if you are a family that engages in these activities regularly write to us and give us some ideas on what type of activities that you use to engage your kids. You can email us at [email protected] and we will print your entries in our next issue.
Well it’s about that time where we wrap up this article. We are actually planning a trip to the zoo today because our almost 2 year old daughter is convinced the Old Mc Donald has a lion and a monkey on his farm. So we are taking the time to show her where they really do live. =)
Until next time and remember the best thing about memories is making them.
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