The role that uncles and aunts can play in helping to raise and educate a child.
We have already said several times how important it is to raise children surrounded by love.
It is generally thought that this affection should be provided by the parents and grandparents, but in families, there is another important figure who takes part in the growth of a child, namely, aunts and uncles.
Aunts and uncles are halfway between parents and grandparents! They are as young as a child's parents, but differently, from them, they can enjoy the fact that after all, it is not their child, which is a bit like what happens with grandparents.
This slight "emotional detachment" and the fact of still being strong and healthy are the necessary ingredients to create a very important figure in the life of a child and also in that of the future adult.
via Psychology Today
Parents should not take it personally, but it is true that aunts and uncles constitute a figure parallel to that of parents. Indeed - we can say -, they are able to look after the child with an extra advantage, derived from the fact that, ultimately, it is not their child.
Aunts and uncles do have to be bothered with handing out reprimands, worries, and all the things that a parent must necessarily deal with! In short, aunts and uncles enjoy only the good part of having a niece or nephew. And the same is true for the children because, with their aunts and uncles they are able to enjoy the benefits that adults can offer, without the typical pressures coming from their mom and dad.
Parents should be happy to have similar figures by their side, but not too much! Especially in adolescence, when problems will most likely emerge and their teenage children will have a "safe" confident. However, it is understood that if necessary aunts and uncles will be able to report back to the parents the most delicate situations, otherwise they will keep the secret between them and their niece or nephew.
Aunts and uncles inevitably have more patience than parents! We are not blaming anyone but, it is normal to have a different attitude when you are in contact almost every moment of the day with a child. As a result, aunts and uncles can be the most suitable figures for helping with homework and in all those situations where patience is a key ingredient.
Furthermore, aunts and uncles can transform their emotional detachment into a more relaxed relationship. They do not have the fears and concerns that can arise in parents who see their children growing up rapidly, and can enjoy all the goals and successes of their nieces or nephews. Aunts and uncles always encourage children to cope with the small and big challenges of life, and this will be of great help to the children while growing up.
Their nieces and nephews will always know that they can count on a person who is present and reliable and who will help them in their time of need. Due to their close relationship, aunts and uncles are always present in the mind of a child, even after they have become an adult.
In addition, even if far away, aunts and uncles still always have a place in our hearts and in them we always place a firm and unchanging trust.
And you, have you told your aunts and uncles today how much you love them?
