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P au lin e O leksiw The Parental Role M any excellent articles pub lished recently have shed m uch needed lig h t on th e v ital problem of teaching children to love th e ir U krainian heritag e. However, as w ith th e w eath er m any talk about it, b u t few do an y th in g effective and constructive about it. “To change one’s m ind is not so difficult, b u t to change one’s w ays to m atch th a t is d ifficu lt,'’ noted M arie R asey, a distin-< guished educator. B ut it can be done. F irst, we m u st recognize th a t th ere is no one answ er, no p an a cea. P erhaps w h at is needed is new vision, new directions fo r our dynam ic tim es in th e form of study-discussion groups in each com m unity to th o u g h tfu lly study and resolve th e ir p a rtic u lar problem s th ro u g h th e appli cation of th e scientific m ethod of problem -solving. T here is g re a t need fo r w orking to g eth er w ith a w arm group sp irit for m u tu al benefit. E ach area needs to w ork on its own problem s in its own w ay — a dem ocratic way, we hope. However, before we can w ork on th e specific prob lem of how to b est educate our children to love, cherish, and p erp etu ate th e ir U k rainian h e ri tage, we m u st firs t u n derstan d som e sound principles of child developm ent and guidance. The broad objective should be to guide our children to become m atu re and responsible adults. W h at are th e foundations w hich are basic to th e grow ing person- ab ility and behavior of a child w hich enable him to become th e kind of person w ho can func tion suceessfuly as a free c iti zen in a dem ocratic society ? W h at ch aracteristics and a t t i tud es should adults striv e fo r in th e ir p aren tal roles of helping to build th ese foundations in a child? M rs. P a u lin e O le k s iw i s a te a c h e r o f h e a lt h a n d f a m ily l i f e in th e K e r h o n k s o n N . Y . h ig h sc h o o l. The essential ch aracteristics of m atu re and responsible adults are: 1. Feelings of secu rity and adequacy. 2. U n derstanding of self and others. 3. D em ocratic values and goals. 4. Problem -solving attitu d e s and m ethods. 5. Self-discipline, responsibil ity and freedom . 6. C onstructive a ttitu d e s to w ard change. T hrough a sy stem atic stu d y of these m ajo r ch aracteristics of m atu re and responsible individ uals, p aren ts can be helped to ac quire th e knowledge and a tta in th e u nd erstand in g w hich th ey need to b rin g up children who will function effectively. This is not to im ply th a t a good p a re n t- child relationship can be e stab lished on a purely intellectual basis. Obviously, th e parent-child relationship is p rim arily an em o tional one. However, intellectual com prehension of th e p aren tal role and a genuine understand in g of children’s needs are im p o rtan t com ponents in developing em o tionally h ealth y relationships b e tw een p aren t and child. We, th erefo re, are in g re a t need of a P a re n t E ducation P ro g ram v/hich would be designed to help p aren ts acquire general concepts and principles th a t have im p o r ta n t im plications and applica tions fo r th e daily life situ atio n s of p aren ts and children of U krainian descent. T hrough stud y and discussion, p aren ts m ay increase th e ir u n d erstan d ing of th e ir children, as well as of them selves, develop increasing confidence in them selves as p a r ents, and share th e ir knowledge and experiences re su ltin g from th e ir p artic u la r U k rain ian cu ltu ra l background and upbringing. In th e long-range p reserv ation of our U krainian h eritag e, p aren ts are a very strateg ic group of adults to be reached. G roup stu dy and discussion are n atu ra l m ethods fo r solving problem s in a free society. U n der autocracies, w ays of life are im posed from above. In dem oc racies, w ays of life are d e te r m ined by individuals p a rtic ip a t ing in group processes and actin g to g eth er fo r w h a t th e y believe to be th e ir m u tu al w elfare. In a dem ocratic w ay of life, groups select th e ir own leaders, choose th e ir own “au th o rities,” and reserve th e rig h t to determ ine fo r them selves w h at th e ir p ro g ram s of action will be. W e a s sum e th a t those w ho would p a r ticipate in such a P a re n t E duca tion P ro g ram desire a dem ocra tic w ay of life fo r them selves and th e ir children. W h at are th e basic values u p on w hich th e purposes and goals of a dem ocracy are b u ilt? O ur concept of free citizenship in a dem ocratic society is based upon our general acceptance of dig n ity of m an and th e in trin sic va lue of hum an life. We believe in and value th e in h eren t w orth and uniqueness of each and every individual. Since in a dem ocratic free society we place a high value on th e individual, we striv e to enable each person to develop his h ig h est p otentialities — to m ake th e m ost of all his assets. H e is expected, in re tu rn , to re c ognize his obligation to use his capabilities to co ntribu te to th e general well-being. In fact, th e dem ocratic w ay of life is based on th e belief th a t th e individual a tta in s his full developm ent only w hen he helps o th ers a tta in th eirs. An essential ch a rac te ris tic of a dem ocratic society is a resp ect fo r o th ers w hich m akes each person unw illing to be eith er a slave or a m aster. In a dem ocratic w ay of life, we value individual, social, and r e ligious differences. T his requires tolerance and respect fo r th e v ary in g needs and asp iratio n s w hich arise fro m such d iffe r ences. In dem ocratic philosophy, em phasis is placed upon s p irit ual, m oral, and ethical values. If НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ — ЖОВТЕНЬ, 1970 г і
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