A Letter of Concern to New Generation Parents

 

Dear New Generation Parents: A letter of concern.

Train up a child in the way he should go [teaching him to seek God’s wisdom and will for his abilities and talents], Even when he is old he will not depart from it. - Proverbs 22:6 AMP

My husband and I have a saying: "let children be children". No deep interpretation to it. Let children be children. 

I'm not speaking as an authority of any sort where parenting is concerned. I'm just airing my thoughts and opinions on certain issues I've observed which I feel needs addressing. 

We live in a very woke generation. Perhaps the wokest there will ever be before the world comes to an end. Who knows? Robots might soon become surrogate mothers and even nannies while biological parents get more time to themselves, but... I digress. 

I've noticed a trend with some of us new generation parents. I mean, I really wish someone gave us a manual alongside our first degree certificate to prepare us for parenting. Alas, there's none. 

Anyways, this trend has to do with birthday photoshoots for babies, toddlers, and kids generally. I've seen pictures where parents dress their children up like adults. The designer two-piece, (I've seen singlet and baggy trousers too) the bling (huge and excessive) jewelry, and even have them pose like adults. Mouth open, head bent in a funny way, body angled in an even curious way, and you wonder "why the fuss?" Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying it's all that bad, but, feel free to call me old school. I wonder, is it really necessary?

I get the whole trying to make the child look cool vibe, but is it necessary? Would it be bad to dress the child in simple, nice, actually-for-children outfits, hairstyle and moderate jewelry befitting of kids their age, and just let them be children? 

And before you say my wahala is too much, at least they're not my children... There was a picture trending online once of a woman who had her one year old get a tattoo, and had him dressed up gangster style. Her reason? It was her choice to do so. Rend your opinion to the buzzards, people!

But, her choice?

I suppose you must have once, also, stumbled on the video of a ten year old boy, whose parents were celebrating his birthday. They threw a lavish party (filled with most of their friends), had alcohol flowing freely, and the celebrant himself dancing to rancorous music with a bottle in his hand. From the video, you could tell he was not unfamiliar with the bottle - at ten years old. By forty, he'll probably be on the donor list for liver transplant if he's not hijacked early in life.

Or of the two kids, one female, and who could not have been more than 8 or 10, sitting down and smoking shisha from the pipes, emitting smoke from their mouth and nostrils like the dragon from Mulan, as though they were born with those pipes in their hands. Casually so! 

Or is it the one of the little girl twerking, her backside to another little boy's private organ, like adults! In the name of dancing! I'm sure they didn't learn that in the uterus. 

What are we breeding!? Monsters that will go rogue in a matter of years and even the parents won't be able to leash them.

I could go on and on, and I'm sure you've seen one or two yourself.

Dear New Generation parents, I have a word for you.

These kids - these cute babies - won't be children forever. In all that you are teaching them, and practicing in front of them, remember that you're configuring a potential adult. Try to project into the future. Will you be proud of the values you're installing, the habits you condone, the excesses you overlook, and the indulgence you're allowing now in another ten years? How about 15 years? 20? Or are you breeding a habit that will soon take you from mountain to prophet, to psychiatrist and shamans, to try to uproot it from your child's life? 

There's a reason why the Bible says a child won't depart from the training he receives when he grows up. It's because they were formed at the most impressionable part of the child's life. It's like writing in wet cement. It will set and harden and become almost difficult to erase. So, dear New Generation parents, here's my word to you: RECEIVE WISDOM. 

Some of our parents live with deep regrets and heartaches at what their children have turned out to be, and they sorely often wish they could have done something differently. Remember the story of the child who bit his mother's ear off because she refused to correct him when he was much younger. He grew up becoming a delinquent and ended up in prison.  And just in case you didn't know, on the day you stand before God, you will explain to Him, how you raised the child He gave you custody of, to look after. I hope that day, you'll be proud of all your efforts and hard work.

 

Yours Sincerely,

A Concerned New Generation Parent.