Few days back, while conversing with a friend this topic came up; Children below 18 being bread winners of there homes, that's a home where a child works so hard to cater for the family by taking up the financial responsibility of the parents, while the parents are alive, hale and hearty with there hand's folded and there legs all stretched out. Most of the time the child has to stop schooling so as to engage in odd jobs.
I call an 18 year old a child because he/she is meant to be catered for and given the right to education either technically or formally. Fine, they are formally called teenagers but this is there traning age, they should be allowed to learn the principles of a good life not the pressure of fixing an unprincipled and irresponsible generation.
A healthy parent has no reason to force a boy or girl of 18 or less into hard labor just because the family has to feed. I am not against a teenager or child being of help to the parents, in fact it's necessary so they can learn how things are done in that area.
Every child has a right to education, to a good life, atleast an average life where the best is not readily available.
I get offended when I visit most factories or business areas and find boys and girls of less than 18 hustling, not for there personal needs but for there homes. That's wickedness.
If a child has to do anything outside formal education, it has to either be a handiwork or learning a trade and not hawking, or other form of hard labor so as to feed a fully grown, not handicapped adult called PARENT. Whatever money the child makes of it should be for personal use or be saved. Involving a child in such hard labor and pressure absorb and the highest form of negligence.
If a parent for financial reasons can't support a child's education to the university level, atleast see them through secondary school. If that's difficult as well then help them learn a handiwork, they shouldn't be subjected to the pressure of handling a home at there tender age.
It gets worse cos most of these boys/girls tend to go the extra miles like prostituting, stealing or other debasing activities so as to please their so called parents. This could lead to teenage pregnancy or fatherhood, lack of zeal for education and a list of others.
For a sick or handicapped parent, I think trge situation is understandable as the child is left with no option but to assist the family and see him/herself through school. Even in such situations the parent should be keen on knowing what the child does to earn a living.
Ironically most parents bring a child into this world and fail to take up responsibilities as a parent.
I lost my dad when at age 3. My mum was left to cater for my sister and I all alone but for no reason whatsoever did we hawk or work to assit her, like most parents in the neighborhood did and still do even with the both parents alive and physically strong. She could sell her last piece of wrapper just to see we have a proper education and a good life. That's a woman that knows what it means to be a mother.
I heard a story of a mother who asked her second daughter to ensures she provides the family with atleast #50,000 for the Christmas celebration else the child won't be allowed into the house and to think of it the child is barely 18. Where is she expected to get such outrageous sum from?
This is utterly ridiculous.
If you feel you are ready to bring a child into this world I believe you should be ready to be a FATHER or a MOTHER. Don't allow your child take the place of a parent.
All pics from pixabay.com
amagod
Thanks for taking out time to read my post. I love you
