National Substance Abuse Advisory Council acting director Josua Naisele has advised parents against referring to their children as “idiots.” Speaking at the Arya Pratinidhi Sabha of Fiji Women’s Conference held in Lautoka on Saturday, he emphasized the significant impact of words on a child’s development.
“The power of creation is in your mouth; whatever you say will affect your child,” Mr. Naisele stated. He encouraged parents to affirm their children by saying things like “you are clever and smart” regularly, which can foster intelligence. Conversely, he cautioned against negative labels such as “you are an idiot” or “you are a slow learner,” urging parents to communicate respectfully.
Mr. Naisele noted that effective communication is crucial, advising parents that “the louder you yell, the less they hear.” He suggested that parents focus on their child’s strengths and avoid distractions, like checking their phones, while their child is speaking.
Highlighting the limited quality time parents have with their children, he remarked that children spend eight hours sleeping, eight hours at school, and eight hours at home, meaning parents have only eight hours to engage meaningfully with them.
At the same event, Alice Fong, Divisional Counsellor West for the Ministry of Education, reported that three students, two girls and a boy, died by suicide in the West within one month. She recounted the case of a Year 8 girl from Nadi, whose mother did not understand her well enough. “That’s so lame; that’s not the excuse, that’s not the reason a girl would take her own life,” Ms. Fong said.
She urged mothers to begin conversations with their children early and support them in preparing for adulthood, emphasizing that waiting until they are in university is not an option.