Parenting in the 21st century
THE EDITOR, Sir:
THE DIRECTIVE was given to Adam and Eve by the Big Man himself to be fruitful and multiply. Now, parents are having a problem dealing with the product of their multiplication. Twenty-firstcentury parents are having to contend with what seem to be new breeds of behavioural disorders, namely, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), conduct disorder, and learning disorder, among others.
Truth be told, we have come a far way from our forefathers home-made diagnosis – saying the child’s behaviour is because the child is ‘bad’ — to a time of understanding that a child may be affected by a disorder(s) that influences his ‘bad’ behaviour. Many parents are clueless as to how to be a parent in this era of children having rights and are protected by law. Gone are the days when children must be seen and not heard, and brutalising children in the name of discipline is accepted. Parenting for a lot of parents has been an on-the-job training, and many have pleaded ignorance and frustration when they find themselves before a magistrate.
The clash between yesteryear’s style of discipline and the ‘millennials’ has been giving parents high blood pressure. The behaviour disorder, the negative influence of social media and a Child Care and Protection Act have seemingly tied the hands of parents who feel like their parental rights have been relegated to just providing for their child/ren.
The Parenting Commission has their hands full with the task of educating parents on acceptable parenting styles, bearing in mind the child’s needs and possible disorder.