We should be paid to parent

How absurd am I to want to be paid for something that's my job. After all I did the do and I brought a kid in the world. So I should toughen up and deal with it. Not so? Well no. Not so. Nelson Mandela once very eloquently said, "There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul, than the way it treats it's children." I'd like to add...."and by extension their parents." After all, what's the point of taking care of our nation's children while neglecting the very heads of the home? I once did a blog entitled "Selfish Moms Raise Happier Kids" and the premise was simple. If I am happy, healthy and fulfilled then I would be more able to raise such a child. If I am struggling to survive then it becomes harder to pour into someone else when I have nothing left in my cup to pour. For time sake I urge you to head across to my blog and read it as this article seeks to offer some solutions. While it may be true that my child is my responsibility, it is also true that the way I raise my child will either positively contribute to our society or negatively impact us. I have the power to raise the next female Prime Minister or I can raise a criminal. Both children become adults that affect us all. It is, therefore, in all our interest to help parents raise the very best children possible. Solution time.... Many parents admittedly do not spend enough time with their children. Not that they don't want to, but the demands of the day simply do not allow it. Many parents work two and three jobs just to make ends meet. They then have to find time and energy to clean the house and cook food and ensure general household responsibilities are done. It is quite reasonable to say that we can understand why that game of catch after school seems dam near impossible. Or supervising hours of homework, let alone additional revision. Time to stretch our imagination..... Picture a point system just like a credit card; the more you use it, the more points you are rewarded. Let's create a credit card of sorts for parents. I can get points for attending PTA meetings. More points for having my family volunteer in the Community. Even more if my children have full punctuality and attendance and then some more if their grades are on point. Let us bring all the Technocrats together and work out the items that would create the most effective parent and award points for taking such action. Those points, just like a credit card can be redeemed for groceries, books, utilities and with a little collaboration, we can even include extras like coupons at a food chains or hardware or toy stores. That way the next time I need to earn more income I don't have to choose work over parenting. I can literally make parenting my job. Imagine parents sitting with the list and figuring out which items they can do to earn some extra cash. "Let's attend Church as a family this week, it's not tons of points but it's an easy one to get done." Or we can finally offer children a real incentive, show the children the list as well. Excel in an extra-curricular activity. Be kind and courteous at school. Finish the month with no time visits to the Principal's office. Finish the month with all your home work completed on time. Do these things and you can get coupons to Movie Towne, Chuck E Cheese's and much more. The cost of this initiative will be no more than the cost of grants to society, which currently have little to no responsibility attached to them. The private community will be encouraged to partner like any other CSR Project. Let us move away from rewarding with no responsibility and move towards incentives - Creating a society where it is tangibly beneficial to be an active citizen and an involved parent. Parenting is the most important job in society. Let's give it the respect it deserves and place it among the highest paid jobs.

Disclaimer: This blog was originally published in the TT Guardian. For more of my up to date articles under the CARE umbrella be sure to get your copy of the TT Guardian every Wednesday or subscribe to their digital newspaper.