Learning to love
In Kathmandu, a Parenting Education participant is led to reflect on the profound impact of parenting styles on a child’s emotional development, and take steps toward mending bonds that once felt irreparable
Kathmandu, Nepal: Jasmine Shrestha, an Adult Peer Educator in Kathmandu, vividly recalls the disconnect she felt with her parents growing up. Often fully occupied with their work, her parents usually had little time to spend with the children.
On the occasions when they did, their harsh words and strict, authoritarian approach left Jasmine feeling emotionally scarred and yearning for support. Fortunately, she managed to find that support in an aunt — her mother’s sister — who became a source of comfort and stability for her.
Looking back, Jasmine recognizes how her aunt’s authoritative parenting, with its balance of empathy and guidance, was exactly the kind of nurturing she needed to grow.
In fact, this powerful realization had hit her while attending a training for facilitators under the Parenting Education National Package, an initiative developed by the Government of Nepal with support from UNICEF.
The particular session that day had been focused on positive communication and parenting styles, where participants were being encouraged to identify positive traits in their parents.
Jasmine reflected deeply, and the exercise led her to this revelation: her aunt had played the key role of a nurturing figure in her life. This acknowledgment was both emotional and enlightening for Jasmine.
The session didn't just offer Jasmine tools to analyze her past; it helped her understand her parents' struggles beneath the surface. The metaphor of the iceberg resonated deeply — her parents’ lack of parenting education may have been the unseen barrier that hindered their emotional connection with her.
The Parenting Education National Package provided Jasmine with tools to reframe her experiences and consider the possibility of rebuilding her relationship with her parents.
She now feels ready to approach this connection with compassion, acknowledging both their limitations and her own capacity for understanding.
