WHAT EXAMPLE?

I read this broadcast this morning on my Blackberry, it reminded me of my experience – narrated below.

Well, this is a seriously surprising issue I must admit. I have personally experienced so much of these appalling attitudes, lifestyles and moral degradation young children are being exposed to…especially by their parents.

For instance, I experienced firsthand during my neighbours child dedication. They’d invited me to their church, but I couldn’t make it, so when I returned from church – it was a Sunday – I was welcome from outside, by the loud thundering music by Davido – “Skelewu,” blaring away. There were green bottles accompanying the loud music, and all sort of funny looking goons, laughing uncontrollably under the influence of the contents of the green bottles clutched affectionately in their grip.

Poor PARENTING

I wondered if a child, barely four months old is having alcoholic beverage served, and songs 'Skelewu' and 'Carol' playing on his ‘supposed’ dedication Sunday, I wondered the kind of songs he would play, and the colour of bottles that will grace his eighteenth birthday.

PS:

The piece has been edited for readability; the original message is as is…

What is your opinion on the matter?

It was written by Oluseye Igbafe click Here to visit her blog!

As I waited at the departure lounge of a local airport, I noticed there were many children about…it was summer holiday. One other thing I noticed was the way most of the children were dressed. Most, especially the girls were dressed in ‘bum-shorts,’ halter necks, cut off jeans, et cetera. The clothes in themselves weren't the issue per se; it was the overall look of the children that got me bothered.

This wasn’t definitely the first time I noticed it. A few months before, I had taken my children to a birthday party, and found myself in what could easily have been a night club for children. Scanty clothing such as tight or very short clothes, bum-shorts, long weaves, and so on seemed to be the dress code. I noticed my daughter glancing around her, probably wondering, what in God's world are these other children wearing or something like that.

Not long after, the kids were called to dance to the hit songs of the season - these songs in my opinion should’ve been rated PG 13 - but, four-to-six-year-olds trooped to the dance floor, miming the sexually explicit songs and gyrating in the most ‘un-children-like’ and sensual manner. They could have given Beyonce a run for her money. They ran their hands over their bodies; shook their booties hard, while their parents cheered. The boys had their upper shirts unbuttoned, and rapped along perfectly to gangster raps while doing flawless break dancing. Those who danced like children actually should where “shooed’ off the dance floor, while the lewd ones were cheered on.

Poor Parenting

As I watched, my child stared out of this circle looking longingly at the others dancing - I knew it was time we left. As we left, we stopped at an eatery where I bought them ice cream; I gently explained to them the concept of decency, and dancing with decorum.

Another time, at a game arcade for kids, I ran into a lady who had made-up her children’s' faces like they were mannequins for Tara or Mac beauty products. Their skirts were so tight, that running up and down the slide was uncomfortable for them.

So the question is; Why do we sexualize our children; Why do our 4, 6 or 9 year old girls have to look like ‘chicks’; Why does she have to be hot or sexy; Should our 8 year old sons go around with a comb in their hair, with their pants sagging almost to their ankles?

If our (female) children wear bum-shorts out of the house at age three, why should they be expected to wear longer ones at 15?

If she wears two rings and twelve bangles at six, why won't she pierce a second ear hole at seventeen and her bellybutton at 19?

Why won't your son pierce his own ear at 15? Are you setting your children up to be immodest and indecent? What trend are you starting them on? That all these are fashionable or trendy doesn't mean its ok. Some parents even dress their children like this to church. Church!  What are you teaching the child? What happened to children wearing dresses to church? Children can look very nice and decent; they can be well covered and still look good. In this age, when children are being abused, is it wise to make your child an object of anyone's sexual attention?

When I hear some children belt out sexually explicit lyrics, I ask myself how they became exposed to these songs! As a parent, you can't play the CD of such songs and not expect your children to pick them up; the same goes for watching MTV Base, Channel O, et cetera with your children. Studies have shown that children exposed to a high level of sexually explicit information tend to become sexually active early. Is that your goal as a parent?

Poor Parenting

Being a Parent involves sacrifice. You will need to avoid listening to such music, in the presence of your children. Most of those lyrics demean women, and teach your daughter that she's just a ‘sex toy’ and, that her body is for ‘squeezing.’ It teaches the boys that money is everything, and women are things to be used to satisfy their primal urges. These kind of music, introduces your innocent children to a degrading pop culture.

Our children have their lives ahead of them, let's set them on the right path by teaching them to dress decently and only sing meaningful songs; not every junk that goes off on the radio. Let your children be children, and train them up in the way that they should go, so they don’t derail when they grow older, outside your watchful eyes.

Do you agree that children are unnecessarily exposed to sexually explicit elements? Is it possible that some parents are victims themselves or is it that they don't know any better?

Written by: Oluseye Igbafe

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