The First Lady asks parents to help each other create a safe environment for all children

First Lady Fazna Ahmed stated on Saturday that sharing knowledge and information between parents is essential to helping each other create a safe environment for all children, and she asked them to assist in raising children to their full potential. She made the call in a video message she delivered at a positive parenting session held on Kendhikulhudhoo Island in the Noonu Atoll.

The session was part of activities to mark World Day for Prevention of Child Abuse and World Children's Day, organised jointly by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the Maldives Police Service, and the island council of Kendhikulhudhoo.

In her message, the First Lady announced the launch of the Joint Positive Parenting Program by the administration in collaboration with UNICEF Maldives. The programme aims to help parents support their children's growth from infancy through adolescence, equip them with positive parenting skills, and adopt self-care techniques to help their well-being. She also discussed self-care techniques for parents.

In her message to parents and guardians, the First Lady noted that good parenting was never easy and emphasised the importance of continuing to love, nurture, and guide one's children down the right path. She said that, as parents, we want our children to grow up in a supportive environment, and that the approaches and skills we use are critical in creating such an environment.

Emphasising the importance of interacting with children of all ages, the First Lady stated that such interactions influence their growth and define parent-child relationships as children grow up. She also shared her personal experiences, saying that they had taught her that parenting was a learning process.

The First Lady also asked parents and guardians to identify the physical and emotional changes their children undergo and for both fathers and mothers to play their parts in parenting. She also emphasised the importance of listening to children, understanding their concerns and fears, and guiding them throughout their lives.