Meriam-Webster defines "Parenting" as "the process of taking care of children until they are old enough to take care of themselves : the things that parents do to raise a child". Nonetheless, some people would reject the use of the word parenting for raising a child and the primary reason is that not all parents do it.
Dr. Alison Gopnik of Berkeley, says that the "whole concept of 'parenting' is fundamentally misguided". In today's settings, parenting does not anymore involve just the parents. Some family members do most of the responsibilities as some parents could not do it for their kids. Many times, the neighbors are also involved.
"Working to achieve a good outcome is a good idea for businessmen or writers, but making a child a 'product' or an 'outcome' does no justice to either the parent or the child", according to Gopnik. It was explicit in her writings that 'being a parent' and 'parenting' are different and the former dominates the latter.
Being a parent is not defined by the achievements of the child in school or in some competitions. It is more defined by a very important word called "joy". The joy in the parents and the joy in the kids are both important elements in the equation. To attain such joy, it is important that the child is exposed to good people who will become his or her models. Being a parent is not exclusively putting the kid in a box called home and not allowing him or her to grow outside.
An African proverb says that "It takes one whole community to raise a child". Perhaps this is a good standpoint to come up with the new term for parenting. Times of India argues that kids today are not anymore raised fulltime by parents. This modern day suggests that parents have divided attention from work, to studies, to spouse, and to kids.
As much as possible, kids have to grow up with a mother and father in the home with them. It gives them a model of a good family that they would make them also desire to have such a home in the future. In the case where such is impossible to achieve, others who will take care of the kids shall take the responsibility to educated them the right way.
