Exposing little children to any form of horrible scene can have a devastating effect
on their lives and well being. So many
children have developed shock, sudden sicknesses and even died because of these awful scenarios they had viewed, watched or witnessed.
In
my former residence I had a neighbor who
has two kids then and these children love staying with me. Do you know why they stopped coming to my
house? It was a day my husband and I were watching a
Yoruba titled film where they severed one man’s head. The children ran out of my house
shouting “they are killing somebody in brother’s house” Other neighbors came
out and I just needed to explain that it was only a film they watched.
All my effort to convince these children that it was only a film felled on deaf ear. It was when I gave birth to my first child that they started coming to my house again.
All my effort to convince these children that it was only a film felled on deaf ear. It was when I gave birth to my first child that they started coming to my house again.
Most
of this out of the ordinary and horrified pictures of Boko Haram Insurgence in
the Northern part of Nigeria has been recorded and is being showed on television, internet, CD’s and so on and the children have been watching all. Seeing
all these killings and blood bath have a way of exposing the children to the
life of insurgency too. Exposing them to
piles of arms and ammunition, horror pictures, films and cartoons, bizarre
natural disasters and heart breaking crises have caused so much harm on the
children and can also be a very good tool to introduce them to violent lives.
In
the face of all these, the parent should do everything humanly possible to
discourage and protect at least the little ones from viewing, seeing and
witnessing these occurrences so that they can have a safer future. Some of the
troubles we are into these days has been as a result of what the children were
exposed to and at times taught in the past years.
Below are some of the ways we can discourage our little ones from watching, viewing and seeing these incidents.
Declare “Off Media days or weeks”
When these incidents occur and the news is all over the print and electronic media, you can forbid the children from watching television or having access to the internet. You can do this by saying that the family has declared so and so days a media free week. You need to be strong and serious to carry this out, because the children will find it strange and will like to disobey. Find a way of getting the news for yourself because you need it.
When these incidents occur and the news is all over the print and electronic media, you can forbid the children from watching television or having access to the internet. You can do this by saying that the family has declared so and so days a media free week. You need to be strong and serious to carry this out, because the children will find it strange and will like to disobey. Find a way of getting the news for yourself because you need it.
Give
Answers with Questions (Operation no straight answers):
In case they have heard or watched the incident outside the home and ask you what has happened, ask them what they have heard instead of telling them the story. This will enable you know the extent of their knowledge of the incident so that you will know how to package your answer to their advantage. You can also postpone the answer if you are not sure of what to say.
In case they have heard or watched the incident outside the home and ask you what has happened, ask them what they have heard instead of telling them the story. This will enable you know the extent of their knowledge of the incident so that you will know how to package your answer to their advantage. You can also postpone the answer if you are not sure of what to say.
No
Discussions:
You can only discuss the matter with your spouse or older children when the kids are asleep or out in the compound to play. In this way, you will shorten their knowledge of the incidents. Also do all you can to discourage them from discussing the issue even with their friends in school. Let them know that they will be much better not to discuss the issue and that their health will be more secured if they avoid discussing it.
You can only discuss the matter with your spouse or older children when the kids are asleep or out in the compound to play. In this way, you will shorten their knowledge of the incidents. Also do all you can to discourage them from discussing the issue even with their friends in school. Let them know that they will be much better not to discuss the issue and that their health will be more secured if they avoid discussing it.
Reassure them:
Peradventure they have witnessed a bizarre incident and it is already having an effect on their life, it is time to reassure them that they are safe. Let them know how hard the government, their teachers and your self are working to protect them. Tell them that what happened was as a result of some mistakes in some quarters and that it will not happen again. Tell them how powerful you are to protect them. This will lift their spirit and build their confidence again.
Peradventure they have witnessed a bizarre incident and it is already having an effect on their life, it is time to reassure them that they are safe. Let them know how hard the government, their teachers and your self are working to protect them. Tell them that what happened was as a result of some mistakes in some quarters and that it will not happen again. Tell them how powerful you are to protect them. This will lift their spirit and build their confidence again.
Prevention they say is better than cure. Our duty as parents to our children includes
preventing them from things that will harm them. Unless those we have no control over and
those that happen unawares, parents should try as much as possible to take
control of the life of their children:
Do not allow them to work on the high ways, roads or going and
coming back from school alone. If you
cannot bring them back, make provisions for their transport.
Do not leave
your kids in the hands of strangers and encourage them not to welcome strangers
in your home unless they have your permission.
Discourage
them from accepting gifts from people they do not know even those they know
without permission.