Childhood
Every one in this world passes through but once. And this includes of course, our children. But today, it seems that more and more parents are forgetting this. They forget that their child is a child, going through childhood! Parents forget that their kids are kids, they make their kids child-adult, pressure them with so much in this life! Their reason is that it is for their children, buy actually more for them. That they may feel good, happy and proud. What are these pressures that I am saying?
Academic pressures. Childhood is supposed to be learning; it is supposed to be discoveries and observations. It should be free of comparisons and competitions. But nowadays, how many parents would pressure their children just so they could achieve excellence and them be proud?
Pressure to take care of themselves. Both parents nowadays are working to earn more money and buy more comfort, but it also mean lesser time for their children. Children should be taken cared of while they are still young. They are to be taken cared of not only because they are still small and basically incapable of taking care of themselves, but also that they may learn what is care (which equates love) and so they will know how to care someday. Don’t be surprised if more and more kids of today are growing apathetic and non-caring.
Pressure to fit in or acceptance. Kids are kids; they are supposed to be enjoying life and learning love and acceptance! But what is happening now? More and more kids, and younger and younger are going through the pressure of fitting in. Why? Because our society demands it. Because as individuals who are members of this society, we, parents demand it! And falls into this area academic pressures, the pressure of submission (this is a broad and quite sensitive subject, for all to know, submission are different from that of obedient. One kid could be submissive but not obedient, and kids are obedient but not submissive). This pressure results basically to bullying and rebellion at an early age.
The pressure of being a family. As the incidents of divorce and separation among parents are growing, the pressure of being in a family is also growing among our kids. When parents separate, it is always because of their differences, their mistakes, because they no longer happy. But what about the kids? What about the human beings hay have brought into this world? Shouldn’t they be considered? Families are not just about parents, it is not just the two of them. It includes the children, the human beings they have brought into this world. Shouldn’t they be asked their say with the issue of divorce or separation? Shouldn’t they be asked if they are happy? What if there is also a divorce of kids from parents, what if kids could choose and demand to have a change of parents?
The above pressures are robbing off our children of their childhood. Their childhood, the very essence of their life at their particular age bracket- kids. And then we wake up everyday asking each other what happened to our kids of today, why have they become so different 10, 20 years before. Why kids could now kill? I guess we need not ask no more.
