Parents must take care of their own children

Parents must take care of their own children

November 27, 2015
Hala-Al-Qahtani
Hala-Al-Qahtani

Hala Al-Qahtani

Hala Al-Qahtani

Finally this morning, vehicles managed to peacefully move beyond the bottleneck at the Bab Al-Thugba tunnel. The first concern of the day is over with the least amount of accidents. There were only accidents affecting three cars and that is a small number compared to the number of accidents that occur daily in this lousy tunnel situated in the heart of Al-Khobar.

There was another cause for concern in front of the school gate when an Asian driver stepped out of his car to help a six-year-old child get out while carrying a four-year-old girl in his arms. When the boy reached the school door, the driver hugged him and kissed the little girl’s forehead, put her down and straightened her clothing. He then tenderly patted her on the shoulder before she went inside.

In the afternoon, thousands of thoughts went through my mind regarding the social crime that a large number of parents commit against their children each day. That particular six-year-old left school searching for a familiar face; once he saw the driver, he ran happily toward him and was met with hugs and kisses. Meanwhile, housemaids quickly collect children, while others chitchat leaving  children to suffer in the midday sun.

If you examine this unfortunate phenomenon, you will be terrified and frustrated at the increasing number of parents who delegate the responsibility of dropping and collecting their children to their maids and drivers. This is not an isolated phenomenon; it happens across the Kingdom at both private and public schools. No age group is excluded; it even happens at kindergartens. What is even scarier is the negative position the education sector takes on this issue. I have never heard of one educational institute in the Kingdom that has regulations in place that require parents to collect and drop off their children.

The painful difference is that if a treasury official were to be neglectful in his work, then we know the punishment that would await him. Likewise, if a soldier were to be neglectful in looking after his weapons, then there would be consequences. However, when parents ignore what they have been entrusted with, they provide philosophical explanations and excuses because they know they will not be penalized. Neglecting children is also a form of abuse; the Ministry of Social Affairs needs to take a clear position to prevent the neglect of children. What is happening is the result of negligence and this is alarming.

This disaster does not stop when young children are recruited by Daesh (the self-proclaimed IS) through electronic games that they play for long hours in a day without any parental supervision. These children grow up alone and isolated. When they begin to ignore their parents and find themselves incapable of pleasing them, they are called ungrateful. However, who began this cycle of ungratefulness?

Most mental illnesses are due to children being neglected at a young age. Psychological and emotional needs are important and fundamental in building children’s character from the age of five. They meet these needs through interaction with parents who either have a positive or negative effect on their children. It is our duty to take a bold step that will put things back into perspective.

When you have children, you must reorganize your lifestyle to provide them with space that cannot be compromised. It must be spacious enough to fit them all. When you leave them in the hands of strangers who lead them and manage their affairs from a very young age, then you are teaching them that they are not a priority in your life. When you make them feel that there are things more important to you than them, you are pushing them away from you at an early stage. You will not feel the pain and its bitterness until they leave for good.


November 27, 2015
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