SEC-S16/W3 - "Who has the strongest influence on children? Father, mother, teacher, siblings, or friends? "

The title of this challenge seems to be debative but I'll play along using facts and experiences. 80% of children round the world have deep love and affection for their mother and there's this influence that transpired right from birth that would make any sensible person to choose their parents over anyone else.

You have one mother and one father and can't get any other. You can get new siblings, new friends and teachers in a much as your parents are alive. This tells a lot about the influence parents have on their children. This is my hierarchy.....

I'll show you my reasons for placing such hierarchy and how these individuals has greatly influenced children.

Fathers are the reason why we are on earth today and are in families. If they didn't marry our mothers and did the needful, we wouldn't be in existence. In most families, the father is seen to provide shelter, material things, financial needs and emotional support at times.

There's a saying, mummy cares for me and daddy provides for me.

Fathers have gone extra miles in ensuring we are educated. They'll enroll you in school, pay your fees and buy snacks for you to eat. This is huge influence that can strengthen children's bond with their fathers. When it comes to finances, we run to them knowing they'll always come to our aid. We don't go begging when we have our fathers by our side.

Pexel

I'll cite an experience that's personal. When I was still a lad, my father's love was really felt in the family especially to me as an individual. He will make sure he provides us with food at home and also ensure our education is prioritised. Early in the morning, he will be ready to take me to school after my mother have prepared me for school and have fed me.

He'll leave his work as early as possible to take me back home from school. Sometimes when he sense I'm tired and hungry, he'll take me to Mr Biggs and buy food to sustain my hunger. When he's back from work, I'll run to welcome him and collect the bag of goodies he has brought home. In the night when everyone is asleep, I'll be with my dad learning mathematics of which he'll be my teacher.

_{picture of my father at the extreme end}

I felt his love when I was young even right now. You can have but one father. If he's gone, you can't get him back. So that sense of children belonging to a family that take responsibilities in providing for them is a great influence brought by the Father. The best discipline comes from him and he has moulded spiritually and academic us in a way that we will forever live to remember this.

So out of 100%, I give fathers 85%.

The woman responsible for my birth. The woman who carried and nursed me for 9 good months in her womb.

There's this song; Sweet mother, I no go forget you. For the love wey you don dey show me

It's no new thing that a mother's love is unconditional and this is attributed to her and no one else. When we were lonely, she proved to be our social media. Her influence comes from the care she provides. She feels uncomfortable when we are uncomfortable. She's down when we are down. If I'm to list a couple of ways mothers have influenced children, it would be uncountable.

Starting with the Love influence....

A mother can't see us cry and take her eyes off us no matter how old we are. She'll always want to know the problem because her heart is so soft to take such pains. Some fathers, friends, teachers and siblings can overlook but mothers would never do such.

When we are sick, she suffers the pain. She inconvenience herself just to ensure we get well. I can remember when I usually get sick in my childhood. My mom would go extra miles to ensure I'm well. She'll take it as her responsibility. She's not comfortable until we are sound in health.

Personal interest and concern are shown by mothers in the highest form. When we have problems, we run to them for help and guidance. They are always worried when we go out without them. They call when they don't see you at home to ensure your safety.

Her heart breaks when she hears something bad happens to you. I can remember my mother telling me that whenever I go out, I should always remember that her heart is out too. Whatever I do determines if her heart remains in good condition or is shattered.

Moral upbringing and training: Right from when we were in their wombs, they teach us certain things. When we are out, they spend almost all their time ensuring we learn something daily. She will teach us how to greet our elders, how to avoid bad touch, how to bath ourselves and do a lot of things.

This love shown has changed and molded us to become good children with good morals upbringing. Children that are wayward are sometimes attributed to their mothers unconcern. We have only one mother in this world. If I'm to rate mother's influence on children, I'll give them 95%. They know our past and future.

A mother is a teacher likewise a father. Anyone can be a teacher but this is exclusive to school teachers. This set of people are responsible for our being educated and knowledgeable which has influenced us greatly. Asides teaching us academics, they teach us sports, hygiene etc which we absorb and practice in the house.

They are the reasons we can read and write effectively. I give them this accolade. They teach us how to socialise. They are our second parents that's why most parents give their children home lesson teachers to provide training due to their busy schedules.

I can remember a time in my secondary school days. My home economics teacher changed my cleanliness personality. I wasn't this type that love keeping things clean. When I come to school, she'll check my uniform if it's clean and ironed. If it's not, she'll give me the beatings of my life. Now, I hate seeing dirts of all forms.

I'm to rate them, I'll give them 80%

That feelings of loneliness is cut off if you have siblings at home. They are present to stand there for you, to give you comfort, to make you feel at home. You can't have any other person better than your siblings.

Lifestyle is learnt from them no doubt and this family bond is created. Your sibling will never abandon you even when your friends do. The feeling of having a family is brought about by them. I know of someone who doesn't have a sibling, someone he could talk to and play with. He do have mood swings at times and always feel lonely at home except he's with friends.
So in mental development, siblings have contributed to this.*

If I'm to rate them, I'll give them 70%.

Bad association spoils useful habits. Good association or friends maintains it. There's a saying, show me your friend and I'll tell you who you are. This saying or quote is very strong signifying that friends have a very strong influence on children both positively and negatively. They acts as catalyst to change manifested behaviour or enhance it for the better.

Friends are those people we socialise with out there in the world. They are the reason we smile and get happy at times. I have lot of friends who have contributed a lot to my physical, mental and spiritual development**.

Spiritual friends

These are friends that share my beliefs and encourage me when I stray or go wrong. They are the best of friends one could ever have because they'll never leave you. I've learnt a lot from them and it has greatly improved my spiritual Life.

Steemit friends

These are friends I brought up and superior to me. They are friends I came to meet online. To those physically present, they are responsible for my being on this platform . They encourage me a lot not to give up. They are always there and wonderful moments are made possible with them. They are the best financial builders I could ever know. They have really influenced me a lot especially my mentor. Without her, I wouldn't be here. Now where am I? I've got influenced positively.

And many others. These are friend that have positive impact on me and I learnt from them always anytime we're together. I don't keep bad companies. So if I'm to rate them, I'll give them 90%. Friends build or spoil. This is called influence.

I invite @enamul17, @okere-blessing and @zekanem to participate.