We Care: Parenting

Ephesians 6:4 says, “Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Here at Life Center Ethiopia, we strive to implement that through parenting trainings. We recognize that everyone is broken and there is not a perfect recipe for parenting, but we also know that the children we support need the same support at home.

Culturally and traditionally, parenting in Ethiopia is very different than the United States. Parents are either extremely strict with their children, or they completely ignore and neglect them. Most families live in poverty and that creates a lot of stress for parents, which is often taken out in negative ways on the children. It is uncommon to find families that practice healthy boundaries and structure in the relationships between child and parent. A large reason for this is that parents are not educated on the natural developments every child goes through. They are unaware of the effect that lack of freedom or neglect will have on a child in their adult years. Life Center acknowledged the lack of positive parenting skills at the start of the ministry and knew that it was an area that needed attention. That’s why we began our parenting courses.

Every time a new child is sponsored, the parent or guardian of that child is contacted and invited to join the meetings. At the trainings, we inform the parents that our values are built on a genuine love for their child and that our desire is for them to align with those values as well. We instruct them on positive parenting tactics as well as inform them of the importance of nurturing their child. We emphasize positive communication, planned discipline, and academic and interpersonal support.

Most of the time, when parents or guardians hear these new and counter-cultural parenting tactics, their response is “We had no idea what we were doing before was hurting our children”. That is such a sad reality. If parents are not educated on the importance of nurturing their child, they will simply never change their ways.

Our hope is that these trainings will change the way this generation parents their children and that it will have a waterfall effect. We want our children to see the change in their parents and know that there is a better way. Our prayer is that the young boys will see the love a family can have, so that when they become fathers, they will love and support their own children.

Changing the parenting culture is a large task to take on, but we know that with God’s help, parents will become educated, and their hearts will be softened towards their children. This is a lifelong mission and our staff on the ground in Ethiopia is well-equipped to support these families along the way.

Thank you for your continued support! We ask that you join us in prayer for these families and the nation of Ethiopia as we seek to mend this broken system.