KEETMANSHOOP - First Lady Monica Geingos said if parents do not engage their children continuously on psychosocial issues, they would not have the requisite tools to apply when faced with challenges.
She reasoned as such during a fire chat with women from the //Kharas region last Thursday in Keetmanshoop.
“Start a friendship relation with your child to gain that needed mutual trust. Be honest and inform him/her if you do not agree with their behaviour, but also never reject and rather counsel them when going off the desired road in life,” she added.
She said parents and children alike should always seek professional advice from experts in the respective social and psychological fields if they reached a deadlock in agreements and commitments.
“These cross-cutting issues regarding substance abuse, moral behaviour and respect are not only negatively affecting parents and children per se, but rather the community as a whole,” said Geingos.
The First Lady also said that it is a common perception by society that children growing up in houses with parents abusing each other will be more prone to carry such evil practices over in their next generations.
“It is, however, advisable to, if you are living in a family where gender based violence (GBV) is prevalent to pull such persons aside and have a non˗judgemental conversation with them, in an effort to resolve such issues amicably,” she advised.
Geingos also said it is in addition needed to retain the confidentiality of such conversations and furthermore be willing to forgive each other.
In terms of the rising incidents of substance abuse, she said a clear distinction should first be established between substance abuse and mental health.
“Substance abuse is in most cases triggered by one’s mental health stage, thus the latter should be addressed first as part of the fight against the other element experienced in life,” Geingos explained.
She added that it has been proven in communities that parents who fear the anger of children addicted to harmful substances, especially drugs, in the process become enablers of their children’s wrong deeds, through supporting them financially to obtain these substances on the street.
“My office is in the process of putting up a structure whereby psychologists and social workers can counsel and advise parents who struggle with kids having substance abuse problems and are accordingly addicted,” she said.
Geingos also said that it is worrying that most cases where suicides result from substance abuse are not reported by survivors and kept a secret to escape societal shame and prejudice.
In her contribution, //Kharas governor, Aletha Frederick said parents should be well informed on issues relating to addictive substances, such as the symptoms to be observed in the behaviour of children addicted to drugs, alcohol and pornography among others.
“We, as parents, should access and make use of the different kinds of assistance in such instances to make optimal use of it,” she explained.
Frederick also reasoned that, if a parent or victim does not do introspection first to detect obstacles like low self˗ esteem, it will be rather difficult to address these challenges with those directly affected and carrying out these social evils.