As simple as it may look, raising a child is one of the most challenging jobs for parents, and it's better not to attempt it if you aren't ready. This is a task that requires a lot of dedication and commitment once you have gotten into it, and as parents, you have the biggest role to play because whatever your child becomes will either be your biggest happiness or headache in the end.
This reminds me of a Yoruba adage that says, bi idi baje, tonidi lomada. It means that every human is responsible for their misfortune, and as parents, this means more. That's why whenever a child does something great, the world would applaud the parents, and when it's the other way around, the parents take the blame.
There is no perfection when it comes to raising a child, and that's what makes parenting quite complicated. As parents, you can only do your best and hope that your children stick to everything you have taught them because they won't be around you all the time and it's hard to tell the things they are involved in once they are out of your sight.
I believe a properly trained child shouldn't depart from everything they have learned from their parents, but the world is a big place with so many temptations roaming around. In the blink of an eye, even parents can find themselves drowning no to speak of a child, and they will jump at any opportunity that comes, whether good or bad.
I have seen the child of a pastor become notorious and a terror to society while the son of a thug lives responsibly. Shouldn't the pastor's child be the responsible one after all the teaching and others? I bet this would be the question many people would ask according to our society standard, and this is just another proof that parenting is quite complicated.
Honestly, the pastor might even be doing more than the thug in raising a child, and it all boils down to the fact that parents aren't the only ones with the responsibility of raising a child. We must understand very well that a child's life isn't only shaped by what they are taught or things they see at home, there are so many strong influences out there that we aren't even aware of.
Speak of peer pressure and the terrible things circulating in the social world; children get easily influenced through these things despite their parents efforts.
There is another Yoruba adage that says, "Oju kan lo n bimo, sugbon igba Oju lo n to." It means that the responsibility of raising a child isn't just for parents alone.
Growing up, I remember how we were being scolded by elders in the community whenever we were caught doing bad things, but it's the other way around today. Aside from the fact that a lot of people are minding their business, many elders are involved in shit and can't even caution the kids around them when they are misbehaving.
What am I driving at? Whenever a child misbehaves, anyone could be responsible. It could be the parent, the child, or even the society, but when we all work collectively, a lot of things we are seeing in the world today won't be happening.
I saw a video of a young girl who bought a car for her mother, but the woman rejected it, insisting that she wanted to know where the money came from, and while the girl was still sorting things with her mother, she threw money into the air, and people rushed it. They were pushing themselves just to grab a note, and I just laughed because while the mother is playing her role, society isn't doing the same, and the girl has every right to believe that her mother was just overreacting.
If we are being realistic with ourselves, the person at fault wouldn't matter anymore when a child start bringing chaos to the society because it eill affect more than just the child in the end. Like I mentioned earlier, everyone has a role to play because when a child who is properly trained at home meets good morals outside, he or she wouldn't have any reason to get involved in a terrible thing, but when there are lapses from either the parent or society, it usually doesn't end well.
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