Mothers (moms) and Fathers (dads) have multiple roles in their child's or children's lives. Parents' responsibilities are behavorial, physical, medical-dental, emotional, intellectual, moral and often are legally required from parents.
Physically parents must:
- Provide adequate housing.
- Provide adequate fluids.
- Provide adequate food.
- Guard a child's overall safety whether at home or in public.
- Guard a child from other children and adults who might accidentally or deliberately cause harm.
Medically (Medical-Dental)
- Provide care when a child is sick
- Seek medical and dental evaluation and services
- Oversee medical care received
- Obtain all legally required vacinnations
- Be aware of changes in health and seek treatment
- Comply with doctor's orders or show cause why they should not.
Behaviorally
- Teach appropriate social behaviors and norms
- Implement punishments designed to teach without being abusive
- Seek treatment if a child's behavior might harm self or others
- Prepare a child to go to school
Emotional
- To love, protect, and "honor" a child as an individual
- To train without abusing
- To provide comfort when distressed but also teach a child to tolerate some discomfort
- To treasure a child without overly spoiling
- To teach self respect and respect of others
Intellectual
- To prepare a child for school
- To comply with State Laws regarding schooling
- To work with teachers to ensure a good education
- To supervise schoolwork without doing a child's homework
- To support a child to Excel
Moral
- Whether through a religion or not, to provide moral upbringing.
- To be a good model and moral example to their kids
- To teach moderation and tolerance for diversity
While some of these have NO legal mandates, some do have laws to force parents to comply example schooling. And if a child is discovered to be at risk and the parents are not doing the above tasks, the law will step in.
