Today's Parenting

Today’s Parenting

With reference, to the Newsweek article “Still haunted by what could have happened”, I have managed to draw out a few issues concerning today’s parenting. Written by a female writer, the article is about an incident that happened to her at the age of 12. Being very gullible at that time, she was actually lured into having coffee with this man who pretended to be a model photographer. With some measure of sweet talk, the writer was deceived. When he finally revealed himself to be a child pornography photographer, it was the writer’s quick legs that saved her from what would be otherwise, a very horrible fate.

These events have sort of influenced her parenting approach. She has become on the verge of being a very over-protective mother to her children. With this, I address the issue of today’s parenting. It is good??? Is it bad??? Just how mush has changed in parenting over the past years. You see, we all have to look at what the world has shaped into today. Is it any safer you may ask? Well, my answer would have to be “no”. Aside form terrorist attacks, crimes have been rampant as ever. Let’s not look at this in a Singaporean context and instead look at other places around the world. The emergence of the internet chat relay rooms and many other connection devices have may it a walk in the park for sexual predators to pounce on unsuspecting victims. Society itself has shown a growing number of sexual offenders and many other criminals. It is at such “dangerous” times like these when we ask ourselves, “Is it really wrong for parents to be so protective of their children?” I stand on the fence for this issue.

It is not bad but it’s certainly not correct either. By looking aver the shoulder to see if their parents are around, children are really being deprived of the freedom they ought to my. My philosophy is that, children should experience reality alone once in a while. It is mistakes made at time like those where the child really understands the consequences of his actions. I am not trying to imply that girls should get raped just for them to realize the mistake of talking to a stranger. I am trying to say that parents should emphasize their advice to their children and have the trust that they will heed their advice.

I see in more and more in today’s society. Children are generally being more pampered by their parents and with such a good life they are leading today, children actually grown up not experiencing many hardships. The growing concerns of parents can be seen in the way teachers are getting more and more calls from them about their child. Co-curricular activities have really gotten a lot of stick from the parents because of their child’s involvement.

So, at the end of the day, I think that parents should give their children all the advice in the world but actually allow the child to go out and experience reality and life on the streets. Couple that with loads of care and concern, and I can assure that they’ll grow up to be better people. Believe what you want, because in the end what matters the most to me, is that I know I have benefited from the freedom my parents have given me.