Children’s Day with parents

Children’s Day evolved after the creation of 12 states from the existing four regions of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Children’s Day, therefore, is a child of the Federal Government of Nigeria; Children’s Day, that one- day in every year in which the government wants to show that it is interested that children who are born in this country are brought up to always see the welfare of the nation as of utmost importance when they grow up.

And from the activities the government sponsor to celebrate the day, it could be said that they have pursued that dream of raising thoughtful children seriously. With debates and quiz competitions among school children, the aim is to spot the best of the talents among our children.

The children on their part have shown over the years that they have the right amount of energy to gyrate to cultural dances and that they can step easily into our art and cultural heritage when the time comes for them to inherit, at the various events at the national theatre-government organized events that bring together children from the now 36 states and the federal capital territory.

The companies, too, dangle gifts to the school children and schools on their part put together trips and excursions, all to make celebration of Children’s Day memorable.From all intents and purposes, Government wants to have children who love the country, children who think nationalistic.

However, it is not clear that the government is ready to make those children who we believe that it dreams to have, from the beginning. Children’s Day was birthed during a military regime and since that time there had been other military governments that seized power from their predecessors making for instability at the centre.

Quarrels among policy makers, accusations of corruption and stealing of public money are distracting for any government. And poor examples are individuals who renege on the promise to sponsor poor but gifted students through school on scholarship.

Therefore, a government that is still trying to find a footing has too much on hand to concentrate on helping to raise the thoughtful children we want, not that they could do it well in one day if they tried.

The job of raising children who would not embezzle money meant for public use remains the sole responsibility of parents. It is the parents who should teach children that encompassing love that includes love of self so that they can understand that there are many ethnic groups that make up the entity called Nigeria. Only parents can, therefore, make the children know that the needs of the next person is as important as their own.

It is your responsibility, therefore, to mould children who can mould the government. It is a duty that you may succeed with if you consider these qualities:

Responsibility
In this quality, you will find honesty, trustworthiness and integrity. Teach your child to be truthful. Who did this? A truthful child would easily own up to the misdeed. To help him understand the gravity of the offence, scold him gently but with the right amount of shock in your tone; point out the error, as it is simple enough for him to understand so that he would not make the same mistake again.

Some children learn to tell lies. But nagging or beating him in the hope that he changes would not bring the needed correction. Some children become immune to beating because they know that the parent would shout or beat them so they do the same thing continuously until parents give up on them.

Responsibility begins when a child throws his toys carelessly about and you make him tidy up. The next time, the one who is old enough to understand would pick them up because he remembers that the last time the sitting room was littered with toys, mummy picked them up.

Kindness
A kind-hearted child grows to become an adult who cares about the welfare of other people. Kindness is not only extended by the gift of money alone. You can use kind words to give hope to the faint-hearted. When a kind person is in a position to influence other people, he thinks of how to make their lives better.

Respect
Teach them to have regard for everyone; their teachers for example deserve to be respected by them. If their teachers are not worth your regard, you may consider not sending them to that school.

Hard work
On a Children’s Day past, a mother called a radio station to demand a ticket to a show donated by a company. The ticket was won by another child through a competition which her child did not take part in. She thought that if other children were going on that her own should go, too. It was not a good argument, I thought.
If your child must have a treat, prepare him to work and earn it. Teach him fairness in competition; tell him to eschew self-entitlement.