Strategic Parenting
In the 21st century, one of the most underrepresented phenomena for building resilient cultures,
nations, states, and the international community is strategic parenting. Strategic parenting can be
defined as an idea to strategically manage, administer, and nurture inclusive future generations
for the collective good of humanity. Parenting plays an unprecedented role in shaping an
individual’s idea of self, their ability to accept rejection, their capacity to accommodate failures,
their understanding of the responsibilities that come with success, their sense of social
responsibility, their perception of confidence (including overconfidence and balanced
confidence), and their evolving identity in a changing world.
The first quarter of the 21st century has witnessed the rise of identities shaped by a wave of
individuation. From the individual to the state level, we are witnessing how narcissism is
creating increasingly isolated societies. If we examine the evolution of our culture in
contemporary times, it becomes evident that much of our literature and creative expression
revolves around hyper-selfhood—and it all begins with questionable parenting. The concept of
self is one of the most important aspects of childhood. It can serve as either a constructive or
destructive force throughout life. Sometimes, parents over-approve of the qualities of their
children. Imagine a school-going child whose parents never tire of highlighting only their
strengths, successes, and achievements. This child, who stood first in a class of forty, will
eventually face competition on a larger scale— from district-level contests to university-level
grading, and eventually in competitive examinations or employment assessments. If the parents
fail to instill the idea that failure is natural and accommodating, the child may crumble under
pressure, ultimately becoming a problem for both themselves and society. Here, we need to
understand that parents must strategically balance between appreciation, failure, and choices.
Following the strategic parenting model is especially critical in our digital age, where there is an
unchecked flow of information. This information has become a source of shaping attitudes
toward careers, aspirations, and relationships—often in misleading or harmful ways. Parents
have a critical role in digitally mentoring children until they reach adulthood, ensuring they are
not trapped in a vicious cycle of poorly processed social media content. Increasingly, our
identities—whether binary or fluid, masculine or feminine—are being shaped more by online
interactions than by physical communities. Parents must guide children on how to retain, reject,
and apply the information they encounter online. Democratic behavior is another essential
component in building resilient and sustainable communities. Parenting can play an important
role in making their children understand about the inclusive language discourse, communication,
value-driven skills, and social responsibility—whether for people, the environment, or shared
values.
Finally, happiness remains the ultimate goal for which we strive through effort and hard work
throughout life. Parents can teach that happiness is not merely material success, but also the
result of a healthy balance of the brain’s chemistry. It is the social responsibility of the parents to
teach the essence of happiness —its sustainability, its peak and decline, and the inevitability of
death as the moral conclusion of our generational efforts. Today’s university will soon be
tomorrow’s parents. Governments should therefore highlight and promote the significance of
strong parental values so that we can achieve the wishful outcomes of objectives over the next
two decades. If we wish to improve our economy, science, art, and society, we must priorities
effective parenting for the productive and responsible future generations.
