What is our goal as a parent

As a dad, I often feel like I’ve been given the most important task in the world without any training. There is no shortcut, no mentor, no seminar course than can help prepare us for the responsibility of raising a child. With late nights, tears, tantrums, financial burdens, play dates and an inordinate amount of time spent picking pieces of playdough out of the carpet, there is no time to even stop and stare. How often do we actually stop to consider what we are trying to do?

As we set up King’s Bangkok, there is so much day-to-day administration and work that needs to be done that we need to pitch ourselves, step back and look at the bigger picture. A sailor on a ship engrossed in the day-to-day tasks will quickly float off course. In the same way, we need to take time for ourselves to decide where we are going before we navigate the way.

Whether you are a founding head or a father, the questions remains: What do we want for our children? For example, should children use iPads? The question makes no sense without the roadmap and overall picture. For me, the goal is to provide opportunities for children to be happy, well-rounded, humble and respectful. To me, the path is centered around good manners and kindness. Through this prism, everything makes sense.

Should children use iPads? Well, if it enhances their learning without stopping them from becoming well-rounded people; if it does not stop them talking and developing people-skills; if it is preparing them for the world and to be successful, then the answer must be ‘yes’, as long as they are used sparingly and appropriately. Too often, people replace important questions with easier ones such as ‘do I like iPads?’ without taking the time to think and without considering where we are going. we will never achieve our goals for our children.