Children are born to parents to be cared for and well protected, fed and educated by them. Many parents strive tremendously to empower and show ownership of their children.

Life is not a bed of roses and so poverty often makes parents overlook certain responsibilities.

Many parents make sure they develop a close relationship with their children to enable them grow in peace and in a relatively conducive environment for growth and proper development and survival.

On the other hand, we also see some parents, either because of poverty or their temperament, man-handle their offsprings for very minute issues. Schools have rules that guide teachers to treat children in a more humane way. Parents do not allow abuse meted on their children by others, like teachers or elders in their neighbourhood. The irony about it all is seen at play when we see parents themselves meting out the worst on their own children.

This is compounded by a hard heartedness at all levels! One hardly knows why some mothers or fathers become negatively charged against their children.

There are laws in force against child abuse but many parents are not in line with such laws for the betterment of their kids. Many think the child abuse laws are meant for teachers alone because the latter are usually charged to train children.

Parents should take up their responsibility, and love their children the way God loves them unconditionally.

Many parents appear in courts on charges of unlawfully hitting their children, others for dumping their newly born babies, others for bodily harm to their children; others split and break their bonds over minute issues.

Children are defenceless and need their parents’ support to let them grow; dehumanising treatment makes our children useless. Children are like empty vessels, parents need to fill them with all the good values for a better society. What they receive today is what they will give tomorrow.