Out of a fluke today decided to head into town and brave the rainy weather to curb if slightly the boredom that's quickly taking over me. Wasn't that exciting except for some clothes that I was interested in getting but due to the blessed weird shaping of my body I decided against it. In any case, it wasn't until I got into that maxi heading home that a commentator on the radio caught my attention.
She highlighted a problem that many of us unfortunately have to observe and out of shock or disgust we remain quiet and simply gape in disbelief. This growing problem is parents or guardians who verbally abuse their children publicly.
I live on a main road and on a number of occasions I've come to witness adults who mistreat little children physically and verbally for the smallest things that they have done such as accidentally dropping their toys on the road, spilling their drinks or simply walking too slowly for their parents' taste. Their choice of words range from "Why the hell you so F***ing stupid?" to "What the hell wrong with you chile?". What makes it worse is that these parents shout these vulgar insults at their children, making it a scene for everyone around them to hear, further embarrassing, dehumanizing and reducing the child's self esteem. Then later on these parents question why their children are behaving in such a horrid manner, why is it that they cannot control them and then to justify something they blame society.
A child's basic foundation of learning, social interaction etc. begins at home, more so with their parents. This is what a number of mothers, fathers, uncles, aunts etc fail to comprehend. Two classic examples of this I experienced just a stone’s throw away from home.
Firstly I was in a small parlour purchasing a daily news paper when a lady sitting on a stool was cursing the shop owner. Yelling at the top of her lungs that her roti was taking too long, with other choice words that I guess is the limitation of her vocabulary. I do not know if she failed to realize with all the commotion that she was causing, that she had her, I presume, son, who could not have been more than 6 years old standing next to her playing with the legs of the stool. He seemed almost embarrassed.
Secondly while in the grocery which is just a walk from my home, I happened to observe a boy who was in front of me purchasing a pack of cigarettes and a bottle of Old Oak rum. He couldn’t have been older than 15 years old. In any case I looked up a sign that I supposed would have assured me that they do not sell alcohol or cigarettes to people under 18 years of age. I guess that it was all a lie which was confirmed by the cashier when I asked her about selling the drugs to the boy. Her reply was, quote:
“When I first come here I see that they used to sell it to him because he buying it for his father. I doh ask no questions” So she follows suite. Days later I saw the same boy smoking on the pavement.
My question is what would happen to our country’s future generation? Being brought up in such a manner where they are dehumanized and are not being trained to learn certain morals that would assist them in the progression of their lives. I will not say that society does not have a part to play in the bringing up of children but parents have to realize that the negative manner that they are raising their children would produce dire consequences in both their and the country’s future.
