Educating children is crucial and we mostly associate learning with schools. However, there is a claim that parents are actually the best teachers for their children. I agree with this idea as long as these parents are intelligent and can contribute to their child’s life in a positive way. If that is not the case, the value of parents as mentors is questionable.
On the one hand, parents are, as a rule, the most influential figures in a child’s life. They teach children before the latter go to school, and this learning process involves all the necessary basics, such as learning to be polite and understanding the difference between right and wrong. In addition to basics, parents can be a source of guidance to make sure children learn how to think critically and make better decisions. On top of that, parents” occupations can help children learn more about a specific field from an early age.
For example, in a family of doctors, a child is likely to learn more about medicine at home than in school.
On the other hand, there are cases in which children do not consider their parents as teachers, or do not see any educational value in the way their parents raised them. This can happen because some parents are ignorant or simply do not spend any time with their child. In the worst cases, parents can have unhealthy addictions such as alcoholism and drug abuse, which, in turn, can also result in domestic abuse. In a household with such parents, there is no hope for any proper education.
In conclusion, I do believe that parents are and should be the main mentors for their children. However, there are exceptions where children are likely to be educated better in schools and by other people.