Are parents best teachers?

Everything you said is true. There's a lot to be said for parents as teachers. In addition, parents have the motivation to want you to succeed. This can't always be said of someone else. However, that's where my agreement ends. I'm speaking of when a child needs to learn something, like the multiplication facts or algebra or how to dissect a frog. I'm talking about the best teacher for academics. My experience and education has taught me that parents are not usually the best teacher. That's not to say some might aren't able to teach some of this to their children, but I don't believe they would be the best teacher. 1) Parents don't know everything about all topics. Especially later, in high school and after, someone who specializes in a topic has a better chance of being up-to-date on the correct information. 2) Unless a parent also happens to be a certified teacher, they don't know a variety of techniques to use to get across the same thing. They won't necessarily know what to do if their child doesn't learn from the couple techniques they know. Someone who has had training in this should have an arsenal of great techniques at their disposal and should be able to create new techniques that fit the situation. 3) One of the major reasons I believe a parent should be careful about being the teacher has to do with the relationship. Parents and their children have a very special relationship (assuming everything is good). This relationship involves the parent as the child's advocate - no matter what. This relationship involves the child feeling they can go to the parent for help with other relationships. They are the child's support system. The parent gives their love freely, without concern as to how well the student does in schoolwork, and the child learns they can expect this. Mom and Dad might want them to do well, but will still love them if they don't. If the parent then takes on the role of teacher - this does not mean support someone else, but do all the academic teaching - the parent all of a sudden has a new type power over the child. If the child struggles, the parent can get frustrated. The parent becomes the one who potentially is telling the child they are not doing well in something. Or the parent resists doing this and then you have the potential problem of difficulties never being addressed and corrrected. All of these problems, and many more that come up in a student-teacher relationship, adversely effect that supportive parent-child relationship. It's difficult for parents or children to keep what happens during the academic time separate from what happens at the dinner table. If children are doing poorly, they have no one to turn to - parent is equivalent to that problem. 4) There is also the question of believability and respect for this position. When mom says, "You need to eat your vegetables because they're good for you" we believe because moms are supposed to know those things. We grow up putting everybody, including our parents, into certain boxes like this. We see other people as knowing certain types of information. If this parent, then in the future, wants to teach their child about science and the reason the sun appears to rise in the sky, will this child respect the information given by mom, or will the child want to argue because it's coming from mom? I have been a teacher for 30 years. I've taught students between the ages of 6 all the way through adult. These students have been successful in what they've done. However, I was unable to teach my own daughter the same things I was teaching to others. She sees me as mom - not someone with that type of information. Sadly to say, my daughter struggles to this day in many of the subjects I specialize in. Not because I haven't tried to teach her, but because in teaching her she resisted learning from me and I didn't push the issue because I'm her mom. She can learn that stuff from someone else - she can't receive uncondiditional love from someone else.

They are supposedly our best teachers but we know for a fact that not all parents are models of goodness. Many parents need parenting themselves and so what are they teaching to their kids? That is why we have all sorts of personalities in our community. If all parents were perfect teachers/role models to their children, then we would be having a perfect society, no violence, no crimes, no fighting, and no depression. The number of criminals and people of bad nature tells us about the number of bad parents we have in this world.

Well, our parents/first-guardians are WHO WE ARE. I'm not sure how to explain it ... everyday we live with them, they SHAPE our very-existence ... possibly even being the force or launchpad that LAUNCHES us into our future, setting us on the paths we take unless something DRASTIC changes that path. So--whether they are GOOD- or BAD parents (examples for the children's lives)--they are THE foundations we HAVE to build off of. You might say that the best 'teachers' show us how to deal with the 'foundations' we're given WHEN THOSE 'FOUNDATIONS' AREN'T "GOOD."

Not all parents. Because there are some parents who cannot teach right things on their kids life. :)

Hi friend, surely parents are our best teachers. They teach a lot of things in our childhood days and we learn a lot from their guidance. As you mentioned parents are our first teachers.

I think yes, I do believe that parents are the best teachers. I can say that I am a good citizen now and I have fear with God because of them. They taught me good manners and right conduct. They taught me good from bad. They taught me how to be respectful and a good person. I am proud that they are my parents because they raise me well.

of course the first teacher and primary teacher for kids are their parents.. can you imagine, the baby.. they always get some lesson first time from their parents.. when they want to sleep, their mother and father always said something, maybe for interacting with them or teaching them something

I don't know that I would go to the extent of saying that parents are the best teachers that we will ever have in our lives. However, I will say that I believe that parents are the first and most important teachers that we have in our lives. The reason that I say that is because it is our parents that teach us to talk and to socialize with others. However, I also think that we wouldn't be able to become well-rounded individuals if it wasn't for all of the other teachers that we have in our lives.

I am lucky to have such great parents. They have taught me things that in my younger years I might have taken them for granted but now that I have my own family, I realized just how much those small talks mean a lot to me and has helped me as well in raising my kids. I may not be always telling them how grateful I am by the way they have brought me up, but I surely am.

I agree completely parents are a child's first teacher. A child learns so much from there parents, what they consider right from wrong, how to deal with people and many other things. While parents can be the best teacher of a child is the parent does not have anything good or positive to give them then they become negative influence on the child. Even in case such as that when the child reaches a certain age the can make the decision weather or not follow the teaching they have been give or to go on a path of their own.

Parents are not really the best teacher however, they are the most hard working teachers. Willing to endure our attitude, willing to hurt themselves just for our own sake and of course, loving us unconditionally.

Parents must be the best teachers of their children but sad to say not all parents are like that. Parents have great responsibility to their children and they must build them. Some exasperate their children. I think there should be seminars about parenting. Thanks for this discussion. Have a nice day!

I completely agree that parents are the best teachers.Because they are the first teacher of their children.They give their children lessons at home to know the basics of life.

Hi ardidoank, True indeed that the first teacher who educate a child comes from home - a parents that molded a child with good attitude, faith in God and have desirable characters to become a good citizen in the future. However, such teaching made by parents are limited only for personal and spiritual growth of a child because the remaining aspects will be at the professional teacher's position. A teacher is a "LOCO PARENTIS" to a pupils/students - meaning, they are so called second parents whom responsible in giving learning in terms of psychological and academic factors of a child. Parents can be a good teacher but it requires them to devote ample time to their children for their total growth and learning. Further, it must be associated with proper motivation, skills and strategy that in line with the comprehensive methods of teaching as like a professional teachers.

I think it depends on the parents. I think it is definitely true for some parents that they are the best teachers for their children, but others are sometimes terrible teachers, as some model really bad behavior for their children. As for me, I do feel that my parents were the best teachers for me. I feel very fortunate to have the parents I have. I guess I am still learning from them sometimes!

They are not always the best teachers but they do the best job taking care of us and being there when we need them the most . I do agree that parents are the biggest influence in our life . My parents are my biggest inspiration , I love them both .

In my view of point. Our parents is the best teacher unless children bear in mind that their parents must be respected. The problem today children, today. Have nothing to do but transgress their parents advice. Children think that parents are doing terrible things and stop them to be happy?

Absolutely yes,my parents influence my personality till now,i always remember what they're said and advice.Parents become best teacher when the real teacher do not have many times to teach us in the class.

I don't think ALL parents are the best teachers but a lot of them are. I feel that I am a good parent and teacher to my children. I love them with all of my heart. I am Home Schooling my children too... I feel that I can teach them the best right at home. My daughter is doing excellent in her school work.

Yes parents are indeed good teachers. In fact, what ever we are today, what ever we know today, is all because of our parents. Our parents have shaped us, and they have always helped us in difficulties. Parents teach us manners, correct us when we go wrong, avoid us to get into wrong things, So indeed they are the best teachers! Love u mom, Love u dad!!