"LOVE our children as we would not know what is going to happen in the future. The younger generation should realise their responsibilities after they have children," said Malaysia's First Lady Jeanne Abdullah.

"A child is God's gift. Every mother loves her children. It is the society that sometimes doesn't care.

"Untoward things happened (to children). What we can do now is to really look after our children, spend as much time with them and teach them," Jeanne told reporters at a Hari Raya celebration and get-together with the media at Seri Perdana in Putrajaya recently.

"No matter how much the police try, they cannot protect everyone," she said hoping that crime against children would stop.

For working women, she said they need to sacrifice some of their social time to be with their children. They should show good examples and try to get closer to their children.

"Try to be their friends. The mother-child bond is something priceless and I am fortunate to have it," Jeanne said with a smile.

Wearing a light blue modern baju kurung made of silk, Jeanne spent more than two hours mingling around and talking to some 200 journalists at the function.

Good parenting

In short, good parenting is the greatest gift that we can give to our child and one ingredient to being a good parent is to have good role models, she said.

According to Jeanne, no one is a perfect parent and there is no magical way to raise children. And we know kids can be challenging!

Parenthood and caring for a child is a gift bestowed upon us which comes with the greatest responsibility and pledge - to guarantee the safety, nurturing, loving environment and physical and emotional wellness of our children...for ALL children!

Here are other points to ponder which we can surely make a difference in our child's development by:

Showing your love: Nurture your children and tell them every day "I love you. You're special." Give them loving touches, hugs and kisses. Cradle them, hold them. Hugs and nurturing are critical to a child's development. It keeps them calm and comforted, and gives them courage to move on.

Interacting: Spend time watching them and responding to their cues. They will feel loved and nurtured. Also spend time with them. Do things together, like reading, walking, playing and cleaning house. What children want most is your attention. They use bad behaviour as a way of getting your attention.

A stable relationship and make your children feel protected: They need someone special to be there when they call. Comfort them when they're scared. Show them you've taken steps to protect them and keep them safe.

Safe, healthy environment: Plug the outlets, block the stairs. Make a safe, special place so for them to explore.

Self-esteem: Giving praise and encouragement. When your children learn something new or behave well, tell them you're so proud of them.

Treating kids with respect, kindness and compassion: Listening to your children tells them that you think they're important and that you're interested in what they have to say.

Criticise the behaviour, not the child: Teaching your child to do the right things is better than constantly punishing bad behavior.

Reinforcing positive behaviour: Providing order in their lives. Keep a regular schedule of meals, naps and bedtimes. If you have to change the schedule, tell them about the changes ahead of time.

Hence, in conjunction with the World Children's Day this Saturday, we should shower our children with love, care as well as protection.

"The safety and protection of children are our priority".

- Reproduced with permission from Bernama