Recently, we have realized that the earth in which we live is in great danger. It has encountered a bad climate change due to global warming effect. We, then, take some action to save the earth. We apply an attitude as well known as an environment-friendly attitude. We reduce the use of materials which are harmful to the environment such as plastic and styrofoam, reuse the things which we can still use it instead of buying another, and recycle them into new things. We save water and electricity more than we have done it before. We put priority in making the earth at ease. How graceful we are towards the earth!
Now have a look at how we treat our children, our predecessor. We become parent without going to a particular school to prepare and equip ourselves with all the know-how to become a good one. We just marry someone we wish, then, voila! We become parent! In our daily interaction with our children, we often take things for granted that we always do the best for them, we do things for sake of their goodness, etc, etc. Have we ever really thought that if we really do it and we really mean it?
Let’s have a look of the following cases. Scene 1. In an amusement park. It has a varied role play sites. There was a long queue in front of one of the most favorite sites. A mother came with her two kids. Seeing the long queue and that some children who were in line were did not really watch the queue, the mother pushed her children to be inside the line, interrupting and cutting some kids in the line. The children who did not feel comfortable with their mother’s ‘strategy’ were ignored. They knew that what their mom did was wrong as they were thought not to interrupt the queue. Being under their mother insist, they could do nothing. Instead of sharpening the self value of her children, she ruined it.
Scene 2. In a coloring competition arena. The majority of the participants were gone. They had completed the task. Some children were still busy giving the drawing last touch. One little girl seemed unhappy. She looked helpless, worried and was about to weep. Her mom and dad were in the left side of the arena. They kept yelling at her, telling her to complete the coloring fast as the time was almost over. Yet, they kept directing which color to use, which area needs more colors, and which color is suitable for some particular areas. Meanwhile, the drawing was full with color. The girl had done her best, yet was not appreciated. The parents wanted the best colouing result, but neglected the fact that they destroyed their daughter’s self esteem and confidence.
Scene 3. In a small mushola on the basement of a big mall. The jamaah was in progress. The mushola is so small that could only hold around 20 people of women and men. Some of the women were employees of the shops upstairs. They have very limited time for break. A man came and joined the jamaah in the last sujud of the last rakaat. He was a masbuq for that Maghrib prayer. That is OK. But one thing was not OK that he pushed himself inside the mushola that actually could not accommodate more people. He placed his body right in the middle of the mushola door. So he had his half body inside, another half outside. What happened next was a crowd was standing waiting for a chance to go outside of the mushola, another big crowd was waiting to go in. We want our children to be a caring person, but what will they think if they see this condition. Do we want them to be pious to God, eager at praying to HIM, yet selfish towards others…
Those above scenes happen in our daily life. Have we become a children-friendly parent? Parents who keep consistency in teaching life values, parents who build the children’s character while keeping them at ease and parents who will always be a good role model for their children are in great need. Be one and you will get better nation in return in 20 years to come.
by: Ida
Indonesianurbanfamily's Blog 