Think out and discuss the following questions

Read the text and express your opinion as for relations between parents and children.

PARENTS ARE THE BEST TEACHERS

We couldn’t agree more with the statement that parents are the best teachers. First, parents are the closest people to children. Second, they have more sufficient understanding on their children than anyone else. And finally, children can be taught by their parents as long as the parents are alive.

Most important of all, parents should be the closest (most intimate) peo­ple to their children. The relationship between parents and children is sup­posed to be irreplaceable and steady. Only parents can devote themselves to educate their children with heart and soul, regardless of time and money. They spend considerable money on their children’s education and health. They tell stories to their children before they sleep. They play games with their children with enthusiasm. Others cannot devote/dedicate so much at­tention to children, not to mention time, money and enthusiasm. So parents can direct children in most circumstances. In contrast, the other people, for instance, the school teachers, can only teach children in a given situation, such as at school or in class.

Moreover, parents understand their children more clearly than the other people; therefore, they can give the children specific guidance. Un­doubtedly, only based on their own well understanding can people give helpful advice. Anyone who lacks enough understanding will give useless, or even harmful, directions. By living together for a long period, parents know every aspect of their children. This ensures that their teachings are more helpful. Granted, the professional teachers can offer professional ad­vice, but this does not mean they can satisfy both processes and achieve re­sults. Some advice may be efficient but insufferable. Parents can take every aspect, such as time and efforts, into consideration to provide reasonable guidelines.

Finally, it could be a lifetime process for parents to teach their child­ren. From infancy to adulthood, parents share the lives with their children all the time. They have the opportunities to guide their children in every step, and they can be helpful in every situation they want. Seldom do school teachers guide a student more than six years.

Needless to say, no one can be better teachers than parents. Not only my statements above but also history has proved this point time and time again.

Read the passage, discuss with your partner and write a list of qualities that good parents should own.

WHAT ARE THE QUALITIES OF A GOOD PARENT?

Everyone has got lot of problems with his parents. Every generation keeps with the tradition of yelling at home. This is something that doesn’t change even if we are jealous when it seems like other people have the rela­tionship with his parents that we always wanted.

First of all something we like from anyone, and specially from a person who is close to you is to feel that person cares about you, about your in­terests. Parents tend to simply ask their children about their lives because they think, they have to, not because they are really interested.

Another thing that a parent should take care along the life with his child is to create a relationship with them. It is so usual to feel that your relationship ended with your parents some time ago and now you just live together and still depend economically from them. That just make you feel that you are a bit alone and you need that person at your side. When you still growing up and need some independence, some freedom, parents should un­derstand and be comprehensive of your needs, knowing when your freedom starts and being sure of the education they gave you.

Think out and discuss the following questions

1) What is a generation gap?

2) Have you ever felt a generation gap with your friends?

3) How do you over come the generation gap?

4) When do you feel the generation gap the most?

5) Is it possible to overcome a generation gap?

6) At what point in life does the generation gap seem to be the largest?

7) Do you think you can be a better parent than your own parents in fu­ture?

8) Is it possible for parents and children to be friends?