There’ll always be something to write

Every writer all the time wants to meet up with the reading expectations of his audience. For newspaper columnists, the audience is, at all times, waiting to read about something in a different way. Most often, it does not matter whether the discourse is topical and public knowledge or not. Reading through the pages of a few newspapers everyday in spite of my busy office schedules helps me to decide on the column’s topic for the week, which is usually developed with well-informed analysis; all for the reading pleasure of the audience.

Conventional media especially the print media usually provides a wider range of the latest happenings across the country and around the world. Not to my surprise anyway, I found nothing exciting or fascinating as major stories in the newspapers I read in the past one week. The stories were no other than the usual reports of abductions and general insecurity of lives and property particularly in the northern parts of the country. Stories of the exchange of hyper-banters between political party supporters and contestants seeking elective positions in the 2027 general elections was the second major theme in the national dailies.

No matter how dry the conventional media space may appear, there’ll always be something to write about believing that the Glorious Qur’an is a living source of guidance, facts, reflections, and scholarly thoughts. This swiftly, yet inspiringly informed this week’s discourse, which focuses on how parents could pre-empt their children from imbibing bad and dishonourable habits.

Children are good at imitation. They like to imitate their parents in whatever they see the latter doing, be it good or otherwise. They naively try to be like their parents without knowing which of their parents’ actions or words are worth paying attention to. This is why parents and other adults must be concerned about how they conduct themselves before their children, both in the public as well in private. This explains why, last week, we condemned on this page the gross misconduct of an Abuja-based parent who asked his son to write promotion examination on his behalf. We pray the son does not make this a habit. It is better to prevent children from forming bad habits rather than wait to get rid of such after they have been formed. “Bad habits”, they say, “die hard.”

The world of modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has made telling lies easier than ever before. You could tell someone on phone that you are at a place from which you may actually be far. You could be sitting while you tell your caller you are driving. You could be reading while you lie to your caller that you are eating. You could be healthy but pretend to speak on phone as if you were ill. When children watch you tell lies in this manner, they would grow up with it and consider telling lies to be a normal thing. In Islam, telling lies is haram (forbidden) and it’s one of the traits of a hypocrite. It destroys the foundation of a society and obliterates human reputation.

Another aberration in speech that is close to lying is the use of vulgar and foul languages, which must be avoided in the presence of children. Young children pick up bad words, most often, from someone close to them. Usually, children have reasons to repeat what they hear as they grow older. So, if there are any phrases or words that you don’t want your child to pick up, try not to say those things in your child’s presence. Let us guard against having a ‘basket’ mouth.

Children should be taught to believe in hard work. They must not be given the slightest impression that there’s a short-cut to success or that cheating pays. Let us not bend rules in whatever we do particularly when children are involved in the process. It’s terrible to teach children to believe that “It’s okay to bend the rules as long as you don’t break them?” We should not be seen by children as people who are prepared to bend rules as long as the end justifies the means. It’s an act of gross misconduct for parents to teach children how to get fake medical reports in order, for example, to resume late to school.

As parents or adults, we must discourage and nip in the bud the desire by children to short-change or avert due process in their attempt to secure admission, employment or track their other needs, goals and aspirations in life. We need to promptly sanction, for instance, any slight attempt by children to forge or tamper with their school records including academic results and birth certificate. If children see you trying to bend the rules provided for pursuing a particular cause, they’ll try to do the same. Children may even push a form of criminality or deviation further than you could imagine.

The influence of ICT on modern life notwithstanding, let us strive to avoid getting addicted to our smartphones. Obsession with the mobile phone is not without negative consequences. Besides health implications, so much of valuable time is wasted on non-productive matters. If you have children growing up, it is advisable to watch the time you spend on your mobile phone. Let us not give children the impression that using the mobile phone all the time is a good habit.

As children, they need to spend more time daily on their books and other learning activities; ensuring that the time for the daily obligatory prayers and other religious activities is not neglected. Yes, mobile phone is also a learning resource but not so much at the basic level of Nigeria’s education system; more so within the context of Nigeria’s national basic education curriculum. The mobile phone came to break the traditional barrier that once stood between indigenous culture and alien civilizations. Allowing children unrestricted access to the internet through the mobile phone could harm their overall moral well-being.

Parents should treat their children’s teachers with respect whenever they visit children in their schools. Parents should join queues at shopping malls, cyber cafes, restaurants, ATM points, petrol stations, motor parks, and airport. Remember, children are what we make them. Availing children with good moral training is the foundation of a decent society. May Allah (SWT) guide us to inculcate the right types of values in our children, Amin.