By Pansy Hamilton Brown, For The Guardian

Children take an enormous amount of energy from their parents as they try to train and nurture. Quite often, children create stress even when they try to be helpful. There are many mothers who deny their children the training of helping to wash the dishes or the clothes because of the amount of soap and water the children waste in their effort to do the task.

Children who are learning to fix their own meals or for the family become guilty of the over-use of some ingredients. Boys sometimes get in trouble by trying to remove the car to go impress their friends for their own private reasons.

Parents need help in dealing with the many challenges of child-rearing in today's world. There were times when young mothers thought it to be mandatory to get support from their parents and other family members. A revolution has taken place which has impacted the dynamics of families that limits the kind of commitment they desire to make.

There has been a change of the comparative age of grandparents of 30 to 50 years ago and those of today. Therefore, among other reasons, their place in the workplace has become binding so that the financial demands of families can be better addressed. Most grandparents and extended family members are helping young mothers, but more assistance seems to be needed in many instances.

One cannot deny that young mothers, whether because of their chronological age or experience, need help and training in order to be the effective parents that they want to be. Neighbors, relatives and friends should be willing to offer support when necessary or when they feel that their assistance is appreciated.

Parent-training and support groups can be positive steps to child-rearing. Support groups can be the right arm of strength, especially when there are special problems. Parents will understand that they are not singular in the challenges that they face, neither are their children the worst in society, since many children have similar behaviors.

To teach spiritual values is a fundamental aspect of effective training, and therefore cannot be ignored. Wayne Rickerson recommends the following areas of skills that parents should know:

* How to develop a positive attitude with your children.

* Understand the development stages in children.

* Use of effective methods of discipline.

* Effective communication.

* How to enhance the self-esteem of your children.

* The teaching of Christian values.

* How to adapt to the life-cycle changes in your children.

It is easy to focus on the needs of little children for the world is new to them. Without choice, parents have the awesome responsibility to create a civil environment for them.

Socialization and training cannot be completed after the elementary years. Early socialization and healthy experiences will only form the foundation for the adolescent years.

As the adolescents face the attractions of independence, demands of peer pressure, and self-identity, parental training and roles can become more intense to the extent that not only small group intervention will become necessary, but individual support might be more effective.

As adolescents learn the normal expectations of their sexuality, as it relates to their mind, body, heart and social values, they might become confused with the process. Some of the early approaches must be adjusted in order to cope with the powerful and demanding areas of growth during adolescence.

Parents must make themselves available for gaining insights, support and techniques for bridging the transition from childhood to adolescence. Self-reliance and consistency in your nurturing will help your children to be fixed in their resolution to be responsible, decent and productive.

*Pansy Hamilton-Brown can be reached at P.O. Box N-10152 Nassau, Bahamas or pansyhamb@hotmail.com.