Parental Responsibilities: A Transformational Tool for Leadership and Development

Jane Njeri Mukuha

Abstract: The pride of a country rests on its capacity to constantly raise the standard of its citizens socially, economically, academically, technologically etcetera. This calls for good committed leaders who can spearhead growth and development of a nation. Nevertheless, this cannot be achieved without considering the value as well as the quality of the families where our people come from. This paper underlines the importance of parental leadership right from birth where we have the first school of orientation to the family preferably offered by parents and the surrounding community. The paper adapts the traditional concept of parenting where children right from birth were extolled as future parents and heads of the society, hence seen as the pride, the future, and the riches of the family and society at large. As a result, parents and the society shared their possessions with the young fairly and generously. In other words the community invested in the value and potential building of the younger generation as future responsible and reliable leaders. With the coming of Western civilization, parent-child socialization and consequently education was disrupted, creating a lacuna where care for the young was left unattended. Today, a lot is said about leadership and the future of our African countries and in particular Kenya, but the journey towards achieving this is least explored. Yet the quality of a pot, in this case our children depend on the materials used in its molding, care, attention and the final picture in the mind of the potter. The paper argues that to enjoy leadership and governance that would spearhead our country, we need our priorities right and in line with our expectations, goals, and objectives. The paper assumes that parents if well supported, empowered and equipped with knowledge and potential values would nurture children towards productive leadership and governance. The paper disapproves the concept that some people are born leaders. Instead what matters is the approach, care, attitude, time, resources and effort to produce potential leaders and goal achievers besides sustaining our goal oriented and hardworking leaders who remain mentors and instruments of admiration to our upcoming generations.

Keywords: Revisiting Parental Responsibilities

Edition: Volume 7 Issue 3, March 2018,

Pages: 321 - 327