Discipline, responsibility and accountability
Min Atek
What you need to know:
Can your children hold and sustain conversations with their neighbours? Can they negotiate on their own at the local shop? How conversant are they with their local community?
It is a few minutes to 9am and my son is fast asleep in his bed. I still have not grasped how he can sleep this long.
A few years back, he would be up early even on days when everyone wanted to just stay in bed a little longer after days of waking up really early to beat the morning traffic.
He will be back at school in only a few days. I have opted to take it slow on pushing him because when school starts, it will be a different ballgame.
January has come to an abrupt end, perhaps because of all the events that made the month busy and action-packed. Now that the elections are behind us, what is on your mind as a parent?
Recently, someone hinted on the fact that Ugandan parents have continued to shield their children from responsibility and growth and warned that that mistake will come to haunt us in future.
If we are to evaluate our current circumstances, how solid, self-driven and responsible are our children?
Can these our precious children be left at home without you for a couple of days and survive without the help of the domestic assistant?
Can they ably prepare their own meals, take care of the home as well as younger siblings or you must be on call for anything to be done?
Can children hold and sustain conversations with their neighbours? Can they negotiate on their own at the local shop? How conversant are they with their local community?
Apart from using smart phones and tablets, are they able to wiggle themselves out of tough or challenging situations?
Can they go to the nearby market and shop all the groceries for the home or are you ably equipped with the explanation also referred to as excuses as you tell the world that the children are too young, too gentle and too fragile to be exposed to responsibility and accountability?
These questions continually run through my mind as I challenge myself to be the engaging parent, pushing the children to their limits.
Why is this so important? The future is much closer than we think. If the children have no discipline, responsibility and accountability, sooner than later, we shall face the consequences.
And oh! Frustration is a parent trying to live their children’s lives and trying to correct them when they are old.
Frustration is a parent working extra hard to get a job for their adult children while paying the same child’s home expenses.
