The parent-child relationship is the most important bond a child has, As they grows up, different parental manners lead to various trends in a child’s behaviour.

While early childhood focuses more on manners and getting along with others, middle childhood focuses on helping children become more independent rather than relying on their parents for everything.

What parents do and don’t do, say and don’t say provides their children with the experiences that they interpret into beliefs.

Those beliefs, in turn, then determine their behaviour and emotions and, ultimately, their lives-for better or for worse.

According to Ancilla Mukarubuga, Planning-Advocacy and Communication Officer at Uyisenga Nimanzi organisation, a parent’s behaviour at home greatly influences their children while growing up.

"It’s our job as parents to get our children to behave, to teach them, and to make them happy because this is what will shape them into better knowledgeable people in future,” she said.

She adds that parents influence their child’s likelihood of involvement in drugs, alcohol and risky sexual activity if they themselves are drug and alcohol addicts.

Rose Umutesi, Women’s wing Representative at NOUSPR organisation states that parents are responsible for their children’s behaviour on a daily basis, their learning, and their current happiness.

"Interacting with our children is an important component that shapes these kids’ views about themselves and their world,” she says.

Umutesi adds that there are some parents who have negatively impacted their children behaviour, citing the example of a family in her neighbourhood, where a mother of two children (girls) is a prostitute and this has led to those two girls resorting to prostitution because of their mothers influence.

Francis Mugabo, Child Protection Specialist at UNICEF believes that parents are supposed to be the role models of their children.

"If parents are fighting and quarrelling in front of their kids definitely, these children would think it’s a norm to always fight in every situation,” he says.

Mugabo asserts that parents should ensure that a strong foundation built on good character is laid immediately for their children, to help ease the transition from childhood to adulthood in the coming years.

"As a well mannered parent it’s a very humbling experience to see your children mimic your behaviour as they grow up,” he states.

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