Parents should spend more time with children

By Ananda KANNANGARA

The importance of parents, interference into their children's educational and social activities was pointed out by Consultant Paediatrician Dr. (Mrs.) Dilrukshi Ruberu at a meeting in Colombo last week.

The former Colombo National Hospital and Lady Ridgeway Hospital Consultant Paediatrician, Dr. Ruberu who served for a long period in the field of children's healthcare said it was unfortunate that many adults in our country were not familiar with the expectations of children in society.

She made these remarks at the annual general meeting of the National Council For the Deaf (NCFD), in Colombo on Thursday, NCFD Director Maud Senaratne presided over the meeting.

Dr. Ruberu said unlike in our country, many children in the world today live and carry out their usual activities without adult interference.

She stressed that parents, especially mothers, must interfere not only into the education of their children, but also into other extra-curricular activities.

"When adults do not pay much attention to the day-to-day activities of children, many of them could fall into unnecessary trouble," she said.

Dr. Ruberu also mentioned an unfortunate incident that took place in a popular girls school in Colombo some time ago and said the lack of parents' and teachers' attention on children's affairs resulted in a schoolgirl ending her life at a tender age.

"How many such cases are reported from other parts of the country? It is the responsibility of elders to minimise such incidents by paying more attention to the social life of young children," she said.

She said not only parents, but also teachers must focus more attention on the physical growth, physical abilities and pubertal changes in children.

While highlighting the services rendered by the National Council for the Deaf to develop the educational and social activities of a section of a differently abled children in the country, Dr. Ruberu requested parents to spare more time for their children and educate them on the importance of social life.