Dear Editor,

In their newborn and toddler years our children are adorable — fledgling citizens of the landscape.

Professor emeritus Robert Gray, former head of Child Health at The University of the West Indies, explained that when a child learns to walk it can only be paralleled to the young adult entering university.

At their worst, the terrible twos and threes, Professor Gray advised that it was important to implement firm management. The stubbornness of the child during the younger years must be curbed and not manifest unbendable in the teenage years. That cohort despite their obvious pathway and maturity still display playful tongue-in-cheek humour. All “cute” moments.

The Bible is full of advice on how to raise our children. “Train up a child in the way he shall go, and when he is old he shall not depart from it.” Not always seeing this reality, we have to accept their “adult” choices. My Mother would say, “When they are small they tie up your feet, when older, your heart.”

True mothers love with unswerving tenacity but wisely do not contest ownership if it means cutting the child in half. Solomon, in his wisdom, knew how to detect the heart of a true mother, who will never seek the untimely end of her child. She’s involved in every battle, sucking salt to put food on the table.

Today, the Child Protection Act and other guidelines stress the need to give the very best to all our young. We cannot deny them the best in the adult ego contests. Far too many children are dying in these crossfire — not fed because they are hated by stepmothers or stepped on by stepfathers. In any sphere of development we should never deny children the facilities that are prescribed and designed for them and essential for their development. Children and adults have varied learning styles, but once it is clear that no harm is done, flexibility must be the mantra in ministering to their needs. In other words, do not be mean, cutting noses to spite faces. Simply stop wounding children by denying them their rights because of vicious indignation at a caregiver.

Those who deliberately thwart the progress of children should be advised that drowning by millstones is their punishment; instead, children should be allowed to have the necessary resources to achieve their age-appropriate milestones. “Suffer” the children to become, live, and achieve their full potential. Why forbid them by creating barriers to stunt their growth?

We cannot make our children stumble and grope in the dark when there exists a wealth of access to technologies to accelerate learning. A young medical consultant bemused that the electronic tablet he bought his son got broken in play, but he was so happy that he had the resources to buy a new one. An innocent touch and not a spanking offence. We must prefer to lose the material than the life of a child. Why should we impose our violent rage on the innocent, taking their lives? Cold-blooded, chilling.

Surgeons today are praised for their strength in hand-to-eye coordination. These skills are actually strengthened in the manipulation of various game devices.

A stitch in time saves nine. Let us give our children a fighting chance to be far more advanced and equipped to manoeuvre the modern world. Remember, we want them to thrive so that they can help us across the busy highways, when the evil days come and we find no pleasure in them.

Catherine Neil

stcatherineneil22@yahoo.com