Parents advised not to label their children as failures

Swakopmund Constituency Councillor Louisa Kativa urged parents and guardians not to label their children as failures, as it can affect the children’s potential.

Kativa says the way parents or other adults label a child can have a lasting effect on how that child thinks of himself or herself.

She says when a child is called names, that becomes part of his or her identity and does more harm than good.

She further says that when children are given labels, it affects not only the way they see themselves but also what is expected of them and how they are treated, which in turn influences who they become.

Walvis Bay Education Circuit Inspector Theresia Goagoses, during an interview with nbc News, also shared similar sentiments.

“We cannot compare children at home or at school; some are academically gifted and some are not, yet us, the parents, are expecting them to do well at all levels. Also, in school, while they are not academically gifted, others are just lazy. I want to tell them this is not the end; this is just the beginning.”