Ubuntu Parenting

Ubuntu is an African term that translates to “I am because you are.” It means that we are all Ubuntu is an African term that translates to “I am because you are.” We are all interconnected, no matter what race or country we come from. According to a post I recently read about Ubuntu on TransCultural Group’s May 2022 Newsletter,” Ubuntu points out that an authentic individual human being is part of a larger and more significant relational, communal, societal, environmental, and spiritual world.

The Ubuntu philosophy teaches us that our actions impact others and our society and that we are also affected by others’ actions. Because we are part of a greater whole, we must work together to progress. We need to share ourselves with others and care for those around us. The Ubuntu philosophy urges us to be compassionate and look after one another.

Understanding Ubuntu parenting

Ubuntu is essential in communities and workplaces. However, the philosophy also plays a vital role in parenting. Being the nurturer, parents are responsible for their children’s balanced growth. Parents need to be inclusive and accommodating of the people and institutions that contribute to the positive development of their children. These include school, peers, religious groups, and other community members.

To achieve well-rounded growth in children, Ubuntu parenting also emphasizes the following:

• Interdependence among family members and other people in the community
• importance of relationships
• cooperation, rather than confrontation
• skills development
• discipline
• accountability

With these skills, children become self-reliant, resourceful, productive, and competent. They also tend to grow up as happy, kind, and emphatic individuals, contributing to a better society. With Ubuntu parenting, the children will understand that everything they do affects the people around them. This awareness results in more responsible, inclusive, and proactive children.

“Nature’s fundamental force is an invisible script to be felt, not seen –I am because You are!”

TransCulltural Group

Source: TCG Newsletter: 2022 May