Fathers, visit your children at school 

We are currently in the busy season of school visiting days.

During school visits, you connect with your child and track his or her academic progress, bond, advise or encourage the child in all possible ways. The parents get to interact with their children’s teachers, and discuss any challenges the child might be facing. If a child has issues with a teacher, this could be an opportunity to interface with both and resolve the issue.

It is understandable that some parents find it hard to attend such visiting days for genuine reasons. Among these are busy schedules, financial constraints, sicknesses and other issues that may arise on the day. More mothers are always seen on VDs than fathers. When fathers try to make it to school, mothers are still more engaging with the child than the father.

Some fathers make it worse and remain in the car while the child is eating with the mother. Others come but have a short time to be with the child. In short, they only come to present themselves and be on the record of visiting the child, which is better than not coming at all. But they don’t create time to interact with the child or the school administration.

At the end of the day, there was no emotional and social attachment to your child except for physical engagement. Please fathers, if you decide to visit your child(ren), let that day be for your child(ren) and school engagement. If you can afford to hustle the whole month, year in and out looking for their upkeep, why not create that one day and be fully with the child?

Such days are always programmed in advance and sent to you in a school circular at the end of the term. You have no excuse for putting it aside. If there is an emergency that day and it necessitates you to just drop by and go back, let your child feel your coming. Leave a lasting impact on his/her memory.

When you visit, don’t miss interacting with the teachers and checking on the child’s academic performance. Get to know where the child has challenges, and seek solutions for improvement. Where the child is performing well in different aspects, give a word of inspiration.

Some children don’t attend classes for different reasons, and have health challenges that they fear sharing with parents. Some children misbehave at school but are very polite back home. This is a chance to get to discover what you don’t know much about your child. The compliments from schoolmates, teachers, and other school members can help you to identify who your child is.

These visitation days also help us to know what other parents bring for their children that you may take for granted. You are able to decide what your child deserves during such visits. Therefore, as parents, we should never miss school visits and meeting days. Aim at creating a conducive atmosphere that leaves a lasting impression on your child.

If you know you can’t make it as a parent, better inform the school administration, or ask some parents that you know to fill in for you, rather than leaving your child like an orphan. It hurts when a child sees others enjoying good things while they have no one to turn to. Be in your child’s life today, so that they can be in yours tomorrow.

The writer is the executive director of Hope Regeneration Africa, parenting coach, and marriage counsellor.