Consider whole child in Fresh Kid, not only music

Star rapper child Fresh Kid, only seven years old, is the new sensation on the music industry. But Ugandans are divided on whether he should be a music star or first be the child that he is - go back to school like his peers, study and grow up.

But many more also say the boy should be left alone to make his steady progress in music. And this disagreement on what should be done, or is best for Fresh Kid, just won’t go away soon.
But here is what must be done.

We should all accept that a precocious child such as Patrick Ssenyonjo, better known by his stage name as Fresh Kid, show exceptionally early development or maturity. Such children with sharp mental aptitude are very clever, mature, and gifted as well as arrogant and troublesome in a way only suited for adults.

Being precocious also means Fresh Kid has a lead, way ahead of his fellow youngsters, or being simply incomparable. With this rare trailblazing is also the risk of Fresh Kid soon climbing to the top, plateauing, and burning out.

Of course, no one, not even his managers, may predict how Fresh Kid will turn out in later life. But what we can be sure of is that the hype of his rare talent excesses of praise and pressure upon this boy-child will surely get into his head and may prove detrimental.
Little wonder that Fresh Kid already exudes overconfidence, self-assertiveness, and now taunts and pours scorn on adults who cherish his rare music talent, but say he’s too young for public performances.

This is perhaps why many Ugandans, including Children’s minister Florence Nakiwala, are right to worry for the boy’s wellbeing and future. Undue and unhelpful pressure and stress is bound to bear on the little chap, yet despite his apparent talent, he is hardly ready to bear physically, mentally and emotionally, all the weight of adult expectations.

Precisely, this is why Fresh Kid should be guided to grow up without us overemphasising his exceptional music talent at the expense of his wholesome education of the heart, mind, body and spirit.

We propose that the path of an all-round education is a must for Fresh Kid to have a nearly wholesome and balanced life and also a fall-back position, just in case his precocious meteoric rise fades and music talent burns out in adult life.
In sum, for Fresh Kid and a brighter future, we need not think in terms of only his music skills, but also in terms of the whole child and his balanced development.