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Blowing Water | Families come in all shapes and sizes, but love, safety and sacrifice are universal themes for good parents

  • While there may be all kinds of combinations today such as families with same-sex parents or a single parent, what matters at the end of the day is the ability to raise kids into good people

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Families today can have different combinations of parents, but the concept of putting one’s child first remains universal. Photo: Shutterstock

Anyone can have a child and be a parent, but not everybody can be a good parent. Parenting comes with immense responsibility, moral obligations, constant worry, lifelong commitments, and personal sacrifices, even when a child reaches adulthood.

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It all comes down to putting the interests of the child first, no matter what the cost – whether personal, temporal or financial. Let’s face it, not everyone is cut out to be a parent and can undertake the challenges that come with it. Some people just do not have the parental instincts or they are unable to put another person first, which is a cardinal rule of parenting. Once you have a child, you are no longer the most important person in the world.

In this day and age, there is no such thing as a typical family: a traditional nuclear family with two parents and children. There are many different types of families, such as single-parent ones, same-sex parents, transgender parents, and so on; the possibilities are endless.

In this day and age, there is no such thing as a typical family: a traditional nuclear family with two parents and children

However, these poster-worthy nuclear families are often portrayed as the ideal happy family model. And it is sometimes said that children with one parent might grow up becoming a little unbalanced as opposed to those living with both biological parents. This is because some people want to hold on to the conventional view that a “broken” family might have a negative impact on the emotional well-being of the child, and consequently affect their mental development.

The most important realisation of being a parent is recognising that you no longer come first. Photo: Shutterstock
The most important realisation of being a parent is recognising that you no longer come first. Photo: Shutterstock

There are also adopted families with parents who take care of children who aren’t of their own blood, with no expectation of reward. I have a good friend who has been taking care of the son of his domestic worker for 17 years after her husband was killed in a road accident before the boy was born.

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So, what makes someone a good parent?

In today’s age, the traditional idea of a nuclear family unit is being challenged. Photo: Shutterstock
In today’s age, the traditional idea of a nuclear family unit is being challenged. Photo: Shutterstock
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