Shuvosangho, a goodwill initiative of Bashundhara Group, recently organized an awareness-building session in Rangabali Upazila of Patuakhali to promote the health and well-being of adolescents.
The event, organized on Thursday morning by the Bashundhara Shuvosangho Rangabali branch, took place at Charimarshan in Chhotobaishdia Union of the Upazila. The session primarily focused on the adolescent girls and boys of Bashundhara Shuvosangho School, with over 50 young participants engaging in the discussion.
The event was presided over by M Sohel, coordinator of the Bashundhara Shuvosangho Rangabali branch.
NGO workers Shahin Ahmed, Mohsin Talukdar and Shamima Akhter were among the speakers of the session.
The speakers emphasized that from birth, children rely on their parents for solutions to every problem.
However, as children reach adolescence, they often find it difficult to openly discuss physical and emotional changes with their parents, they said.
Boys and girls, accustomed to their parents' guidance, cannot often handle these changes themselves.
In girls, physical challenges are more pronounced, which can make the situation even more difficult, according to them.
This perception that certain matters cannot be shared with parents leads to a growing distance between children and their guardians, which can potentially lead them to aimless direction.
It is crucial for parents to spend quality time with their children from a young age.
If parents engage with their children like friends and spend time with them, children will feel comfortable sharing everything with them during their adolescent years, they said.
Parents should also take the time to explain the changes that occur during adolescence before they happen.
The speakers advised parents to get to know their children’s friends during this time as adolescents may sometimes get influenced by negative friend groups.
However, it does not mean that parents should invade their children’s privacy, such as reading their mobile messages or demanding answers to everything. Instead, parents should guide their children in making wise friend choices and foster good relationships with their children's friends.
By involving themselves in their children’s lives in this way, parents can ensure their oversight while also preventing any doubts from arising in the child's mind.
Among those present at the session were Abdul Kader, MA Yusuf Ali, Tuhin Raj, Zayan Ahmed Robin, Habiba Begum and Ummihani, among others.
The event was conducted by Zhilam Tauhid, a teacher of Bashundhara Shuvosangho School.
Bd-Pratidin English/ARK
