OPINION: Training the Child for Greatness in the Future – By ‘Yanju Uwala

On Saturday, I was listening to a weekly program on Ogun State Broadcasting Corporation (OGBC 2), titled, “ÈWE ÌWÒYÍ (Children of Today), and I was moved with the presentation of such program to the extent that I was inspired to move along with every of their presentations to the end of the program.

The program, which is specially designed for children irrespective of age bracket is a platform to learn and know more about events happening around them, which I believe will definitely inturn play a vital role in the life of such child, though I am not trying to promote the program, and if there is a say that I was promoting it, then let it be because as I said earlier, the program really motivated me that led me into putting this down. Starting this piece with this illustration really talked much about what I am trying to figure out from this article.

The act of building or training of a child, is no longer a worthy assignment or task taken by today’s parents again, some don’t even have time for their wards, some even claim that God will surely take care of him or her, as if they have seen Him before, while some has even underated means of training their child, when they are lenient with them.

Meanwhile, our fathers and mothers in the olden days strongly believed that the children are the future of tomorrow, infact with this strong belief our parents always struggle and make sure that every child they had always have concrete foundation which will surely play a meaningful part and price in whatever such child becomes in the days of his or her life and this we are seeing now.

Meanwhile, what can parents of today vouched of becoming their children in the future?

The present day child, youth are no longer living in the know-how of building a strong society for themselves and the purpose of their future, rather they want everything to come to pass now, as they believe that immediate riches are now the order of the day, instead of planting a smooth and fertile seed today, so as to reap a good fruit tomorrow but rather its not like that with their own thought.

Many of our young ones now are found in Online fraudulent activities (Yahoo boys), even to the extent of a 12-year old boy, planning to, join this act after his secondary school education. Isn’t that too bad?

Yet, they are being celebrated every May 27 of the year, which is acknowledged as ‘Childrens’ Day’, have you taken time of this once in a year celebration to orientate them on things going on around them, be it in the school, the society? Have you also use this opportunity to make them know more about the word of God, by sitting them down and discussing the way of the creator?

The word of God in Proverbs 22:6, really emphasized on the training of a child in the way he should go, which is the right way and not the bad, so that when he had grown, he would not depart from such godly training, but how many of our parents today are even ready for the godly training stated here?

Early this year, a scenario happened in my community in which two teenagers were accused of stealing two android phones, yet efforts to trace these phones has yielded to one of the two phones recovered, but the other one is yet to be seen. The touching point is that these toddlers are both male and female in partner of the crime. So, if this evil habit can have its way into these kids now, what will become of them tomorrow?

In Proverbs 13:24, parents are enjoined to take up means to discipline and inculcate good training into their children, don’t be sorry for chastening a child for his wrong doings, because sparing them will make such child to believe that he is doing the best thing, and if there is a need for meaningful commendation, please do that likewise.

Before, I drop my pen, the program I talked about earlier, really contributes to the proper building and training of young ones around us today, and that is why I said even though I am not trying to advertise the program but anyone who has listened to it, will definitely appreciate the fact that it needed to be reckoned with, especially as it deals mostly with children of nowadays.

‘Yanju Uwala is a writer, journalist and youth advocate. He can be reached via: samsonadeyanjuuwala@gmail.com