There can’t be too many parents that would not sacrifice almost anything or everything for their children, that would not, if the situation arose or dictated, even die for their children. We have seen in the news where parents have drowned trying to save a child or been badly burnt running into a burning building to save a child whether it be theirs or belonging to someone else. Our inborn instincts to save or protect children are strong within us, most of us. Once becoming parents biologically, realise that we ‘become’ parents to all children no matter whether they be ours or someone Else’s.
There can’t be too many parents that would not go to the most extreme measures in order to protect their children from any sort of danger. We have all heard of parents, a father usually, who have even killed for their kids. In those cases where they have found out that someone, some stranger or family member is a paedophile and has been sexually abusing their child they have, in their grief and anger, taken the law into their own hands and killed the offender. I suspect, from conversations I’ve had with other parents, there would not be too many that would condemn this extreme action or even not too many that would not be prepared to commit similar action themselves, such is our instinctive drive to protect our offspring at all or any costs to ourselves.
So herein lies my dilemma. Why are we, as a society, standing by while our children fall prey to all manner of danger and predatory behaviour perpetrated by complete strangers against them, our children? Why are we not up in arms against all that puts our kids at risk? I believe part of the answer is simple enough, it’s because the dangers are not presented in an obviously dangerously overt fashion, they are subtle and insidiously acceptable, closer inspection ‘tho reveals them to be the monsters that they so truly are.
I have often heard parents say “I would not be a kid today for all the tea in China, or words to that effect, I’ve listened as parents, sensing that something is wrong, that all is not right with the world their kids have to live in. Ask “do our kids have it harder than we did, really?” That they have to ask is a bit of a worry in itself. The only real answer to that question is, yes! They do have it harder than we did, undoubtedly. Let’s look at a list of some of the obvious things that they have to deal with.
Domestic violence has risen steadily for years and it has reached epidemic proportions as has child sexual abuse. Couple that with emotional abuse and emotional neglect and you begin to form some idea of what far too many children have to deal with at home before they even step outside to face the dangers of the outside world. Other problems that mostly start at home. Obesity is another epidemic leading onto all manner of physical and emotional problems in the immediate and off course manifesting later in life as such diseases as diabetes. Depression is rife. Sometimes it’s resulting, all too sadly, all too often these days in suicide or self harming or addiction to drugs or alcohol. Sloppy or no social graces, IE manners, negative attitude, lousy communication skills, lazy or slovenly personal habits resulting in bad teeth, general bad health and lack of well being. Whatever happened to the great wisdom of “a healthy body a healthy mind”? That just covers the obvious home grown problems. School is the other important educational and social experience our children have to contend with. All too often these days our children are struggling at school. Loyal regular readers of my meanderings are familiar with my views on the shortcomings of our education system and my opinions on why. School: A place of education and or instruction… a place of learning… learning what? Well, learning to read and write hopefully, learning the basics of maths and other important and beneficial subjects. But then why are so many of our children coming out of their school years only to struggle in coping with the work world? Maybe because they are not being taught the lessons that they need to prepare them for that real work world. I repeated a wisdom some time ago that said “if our children are not learning with the way we teach maybe we should be teaching them in the way they learn”, or words to that effect. In other words maybe teaching is not keeping pace with the rapidly, ever changing world in which our children have to live in.
Fundamentals: the basic tools for anyone who has to survive in the work world, literacy, being able to read and write properly, spelling words correctly, being able to not only read written words but comprehend their meaning. You know what I mean! They should be learning nutrition. They should be compelled to work out physically each day, encouraged to participate in healthy sport competition… fundamentals! Sex and drug education should be supported on every level as sex and drugs are now a huge part of their world. Healthy Harold is one program that I support and work for that goes to schools in an effort to forewarn, therefore forearm kids against the dangers of making the wrong decision at the wrong time.
Our kids are not only having to cope with sophisticated drug distribution but with drugs that are far more exotic and deadly than we had to at their age. Ecstasy, Crack and Ice have now been added to the list of the deadly drugs along with heroin and Speed and off course the deadly old staples of cigarettes and tobacco. What I am saying is that too many children are leaving school ill equipped to start life successfully in the big wide real world and that needs to be addressed on all levels. It must start at home, it must be continued at school and further support must come from the business sector as well, we all must start working together to give our kids the best possible chance to not only survive but flourish and succeed in the big wide real world. I would love to hear your thoughts on this. As always, I remain your friend. Go peacefully into the world. Angry Anderson AM