THE PRIDE OF OUR GENERATION AS OBEDIENT CHILDREN

A happy Ghanaian woman and child: Artwork by Peter Asare

We are in a generation of disobedient children compared to our time. We, the people born between 1940-1970 in Ghana, are the most blessed ones. We are awesome people, and our lives are living proof.

While playing and riding rented bicycles, we never bothered to wear helmets. We played Oware, Ampe,  Kwaakwaa (Hide and seek), asosor, tumatu (Ghanaian games), and skipping rope, etc, without thinking about television, video, or computer games.

After school (those days, we went to school two times a day), we played until dusk, but never watched the world (Television) by locking ourselves up in a room. We played only with our real friends, not with www.com friends.

If we ever felt thirsty, we drank tap water or stream water; bottled water didn't exist, but there wasn't any Ebola or pneumococcal meningitis. We never got ill, even after sharing the same juice or sweets with four friends

We were happy after our fufu, kokonte, etsew, and ampesi. (Ghanaian dishes.) There weren't any fried rice or 'foes chicken.' We ate rice and chicken only on special days. (Christmas, New Year, Easter, etc.) Even then, we will go anywhere with our fresh chicken legs, head, and wings in our hands, for everyone to know that we've eaten rice.

Nothing happened to our feet after roaming and kicking balls made of rags barefoot. We never used any health supplements to keep ourselves healthy. We used to create our own toys. Our parents were not rich, but they never chased after money.

They just searched for and gave only love. They were proud to see us around them. These days, parents are chasing after money and riches that they ignore the presence of their kids. 

We never used to share our emotions by using emoticons, DVDs, Play Stations, X-Boxes, video games, personal computers, the internet, web chatting, but we had many good friends, and communication was face-to-face.

We used to go to our friends’ homes unannounced and enjoy food with them. We never had to call them and ask for their parents’ permission to visit their home. 

Loving people were near to us, so our hearts and souls were happy. Hence, we never required an insurance policy or fake spiritual support.

We might have been in Black and White photos, but you find colourful memories in them. The ultimate is that we are unique and the most understanding generation because we are the last generation that listened to our parents. And also the first one who has to listen to our children.

I am proud to belong to that noble Generation.

A GENERATION OF DISOBEDIENT CHILDREN

A defiant child

" A wise child accepts a parent's discipline, a mocker refuses to listen to correction."

There are so many verses in the Bible that speak about children. The one stated above at 'Proverbs 13:1' is my favorite. Parents can never be happy when a child fails to listen to them. 

Every adult was once a child, but not every child has reached adulthood. Parents, therefore, have the experience to bring up a child in the most disciplined manner to build a good future for the child.

It's unfortunate that today, our children are those who are trying to tell their parents that they know better than them. The way children are stubbornly behaving these days evidently tells us that we are now in a very wrong generation. 

Imagine your only daughter, whom you want to give the best education, is now pregnant at the age of fourteen because every correction given to her was ignored.

I visited a family in Antwerp. I have been there many times to see them because Sabrina's husband helps to fix my computer any time it breaks down. 

My last visit was a very sad one. I have made up my mind never to go there again due to what I witnessed. Out of her children, one of her daughters, at fourteen, is the only one who is bringing misery, disrespect, and discomfort to her family.

"Imagine my own child calling me a prostitute, throwing things, including a knife, at me. She has been throwing any object her hands could get at me and her father." Said Sabrina in tears. 

"It hurts so much when a child you love turns against you because of correction. At the age of fourteen, she wants to go out. I did allow her once, but she came home very late. 

We were scared of her safety, so we decided not to give her that chance again. This made us a devil in her eyes." Sabrina concluded.

The question is, "What is happening to our children that they simply do not like to listen to corrections? What are they looking for? It is now a fashion to see children smoking and sleeping around with young boys. 

It is like when a child hasn't had sex with a boy, she is a 'Mummy's child'-not brave. So young girls are now having sex indiscriminately with young boys. 

These young boys team up at cinema houses, squares, and amusement places to discuss the sex they had with these girls. This is morally wrong.

Would a mother spoil the child and spare the rod, because the child wouldn't listen? That mustn't be the solution. Whether a child is difficult or not, it is always the responsibility of the parents to put a little common sense into the child's stubborn head. 

Parents mustn't forget that whenever anything bad happens to the child, they will be held responsible. So parents mustn't give up. They can always seek the best counseling for a troublesome child through many organizations.