CHILDREN [They are Gifts from God, Not a Burden]

The writer believes that a beautiful camaraderie
 makes life a wonderful journey.

The day one ties the knot is a sweet moment no groom or bride will forget, but will this sweetness sustain and grow sweeter each day? Newlyweds think they are ready to become somebody’s spouse and a child’s parent, but how confident and prepared are they in taking responsibility and facing sour and bitter phases of marriage?

Marriage is about starting a family and being prepared for a greater challenge – raising children with somebody with a different personality, behaviour and intelligence. Parents need to realise that raising a child requires skill, patience, determination and endurance. They may stumble along the way, especially if their children are differently abled, but will that make or break their spirit? Emotional parents may be unable to deal with the pressure and this is why children are abused and loathed.

Not only do some parents lack parental skills, they sometimes fail to manage their stress. It is deemed essential for working parents to be available at home. To deal with bosses with high expectations and a heavy workload is not easy, but it is not impossible.  Parents should do their best to make themselves available at home to spend some quality time with their children.

It is inevitable that parents face problems at work, but they should know their failure to stop thinking about problems may lead to consequences at home. This is when a simple joke will not make them happy, but angry; a trivial mistake may result in irrelevant and excessive punishment that could affect their children physically, emotionally and mentally.  

Some children may make calls to Childline for help and solutions, but this may not always be the way out. There may be miscommunication when a child in distress reports to the person on duty. As a result, these children will be trapped in a place filled pressure, torture, boredom and uncertainty.

Children are gifts from God. They should not be treated as a burden, but as responsibilities. Make them feel respectful, not fearful.

Roman writer Terence once said: “It is better to bind your children to you by a feeling of respect and by gentleness than by fear.”

Courtesy of New Sunday Times

1 March 2015