Whenever a father is taken into custody, it’s the child who suffers the most. There are many studies about incarcerated fathers and the issues children face when dad is no longer in the home. Childhood is a crucial period of learning, bonding and creating. Trauma due to the father’s arrest and incarceration can lead to unhealthy habits. Children look up to their fathers. When he isn’t around, we find that the child can be easily be led to unhealthy behavior. As a result, we at Building Families Together, believe that a father’s absence can deprive children of many positive life lessons.
The responsibility for a child’s growth and development is passed to the family and teachers. We feel that special attention is required in order for a child to be on the positive side of society. In fact, many of the posts in our blog focus on these kinds of issues. In this post, we will examine how family and teachers can work together to raise a child with an incarcerated father.
The Family and Teachers Must Communicate
Communication between the family and teachers or at least one school official e.g. counselor, social worker, principal, or vice principal is a must. It is important to know how the child behaves at both home and school to understand the child’s struggles and emotional needs. The child will need a great deal of attention and both groups can support each other positively.
Simple Actions Teachers Can Take
Schools can offer a lot to a child with an incarcerated parent, here are some things teachers can do:
- Praise little things such asthe completion of an assignments and can offer books to help with personal development.
- Keep tabs on the child in a protective way, for example, if the child is being bullied in school,a teacher can take the correct action to prevent bullying.
- Create a good positive and supportive environment for a child will help them to cope, learn and grow.
Adults Must Think Before Speaking
Any responsible adult must think about their use of words in the presence of a child. Things not meant intentionally can hurt a child’s feeling during these hard times. Instead, use positive words to encourage and boost the child’s self-esteem.
Education and Extracurricular Activities Help
Education is and has always been a help for a child’s cognitive growth. Reading positive books about inspiring gurus like Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi and Muhammad Ali can help broaden a child’s perspective and help their personality develop.
Encourage the child to participate in extracurricular activities. The child will have the opportunity to learn teamwork, leadership and social awareness. In many cases, the child is motivated to find purpose in life through these kinds of activities. This is a good sign.
Friends For Company
This is a hard time for children and having the company of other children is great because it can keep them socially involved. In addition, friends with similar interests will have a positive impact by helping kids in doing what they love the most.
Our Beliefs
We believe that every child is a blessing, and the upbringing of every child should be society’s main concern. Children are the future of our nation and they can move mountains if they are nurtured accordingly.
Our organization works on projects to deliver educational materials to the children who have an incarcerated father. We also give guidance to children and their families. We believe in helping families to live through this extremely difficult situation. Please contact us if you have any questions.