JEDDAH: About 660 Saudi men and women attended recently the Second Educational Forum for Parents entitled “Let's Talk to our Children” at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI). Running from Oct. 26 to 28, the first day of the forum was devoted to demonstrating the importance of regular open dialogue between parents and children, the JCCI said. Fahad Al-Sunaidi of King Abdulaziz University told parents that open discussions would “help build children's confidence”. “Parents must encourage their children to speak openly,” Al-Sunaidi said. “Positive and constructive discussion with our children will help build character.” On the second day, Khalid Al-Halabi delivered a lecture on “understanding young people” and the subjects that should be discussed with them. “Parents should set aside a special time for these discussions and allow children to express themselves freely and without interruption,” he said. On the third and final day of the forum, Humoud Al-Somaili, an expert in human development at Jeddah Educational Directorate, stressed the need to involve young people in a variety of social and community activities, such as part-time summer work, to “develop their talents and positive attributes”. Secretary General of the Second Educational Forum for Parents Malek Ghazi said the meeting provided a good opportunity for parents to consult with experts in the field. “We try our best to include as many ideal examples of family dialogue as possible from the life of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in forum lectures and seminars,” he said.
