menace
I’ve been in and out of discussion with my sister regarding
parenting and each time, she’d think that I am not in the position to comment
about it because I am not a parent.
While I agree that I am not a parent, I beg to disagree that
I don’t have the right to say what’s on my mind about parenting. This is not to
say that I am right and she’s wrong but I just want to voice out my opinion on
what kids should learn these days and what not to. Regardless, it’s her
discretion to listen or not.
On gadgets… we both think that gadgets disrupt a child’s
creativity. Gadgets make them think that everything comes fast. Why, internet
is so fast that videos in HD are streaming at full speed. Gone are those days
when you wait for commercials in order to watch the 2nd, 3rd,
4th part of the whole episode. Gadgets buy time on a child’s
attention but it also shortens their patience and sense of imagination.
On getting what they want… I do think that there is a time
for everything. For me, no matter how we want to give everything to a child for
their happiness, it isn’t right to spoil them. Travels for example, need not be
in Disneyland but creating memories, spending time with them even in the most
barren field in Samal will do. I’d love to think that parents are doing
themselves a favour by not spoiling their children today because they will be
teaching their children the value of gratitude and humility in the future.
On expressing their opinions… Kids are a lot smarter these
days and I do get flustered in knowing that sometimes, they know more stuff
than we do. But the smarter they become the more entitled they seem like. Someone
told me, it’s cute when they correct adults about this and that, I do think
that at some point, it really is, BUT… there’s a thin line between being all
cute and disrespectful. Wouldn’t it be nice to listen to a child who is smart
and humble at the same time? I do think, these two can go hand in hand pretty
well.
If we tolerate children just because they’re cute and
fascinating, they would think that they are right.
Later on, it will be too difficult to change. We seem to be
missing the point that one day, we will die and we won’t live forever for the
child. So rather than making it difficult for him later on, it is a must to
teach him what he needs to learn at an early age.
My sister always tells me that my ideas are better said than
done. Perhaps.
But I was raised by a tough mother whom I cannot control or
manipulate. I was raised by both parents who not only gave me a mouthful of
sermons every time I seem to forget my boundaries as a child but also a
beltful, a sweepful, a rulerful of hittings for me to understand their point
completely.
Sure parenting is hard, but a future menace to the society
is harder to deal, don’t we think?
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