The relationship between parents and children has undergone a drastic change over the last few decades. Parents are no longer the sole authority in a family. This change has certainly affected the way children interact with their parents. In fact, many of them have become disrespectful towards them. Since they repeat the same behaviour outside their home, it has a negative effect on society as well. There are several reasons for this disturbing trend.
Today’s children receive a much better education than what their parents received. They have also become smarter and more intelligent. Thanks to the accessibility of new age technologies. For example, I know of many young children who can use their parents’ smartphones much better than them. They can drive vehicles even faster. This creates a false sense of superiority and they often look down upon their parents and treat them with disrespect. This was not exactly the case thirty years ago when the skill gap between parents and children were negligible.
Another factor that contributes to the growth of disrespectful children is the rise of the nuclear family. Most families now consist of just parents and one or two kids. These families certainly revolve around these children and it is not uncommon for parents to cater to every need of their kids. This makes children more demanding.
In my opinion, if children have become disrespectful, it is a problem with their upbringing. Parents who satisfy every need of their children are not doing them a service. Rather, they are spoiling them. Parents are required to not only provide their children with food and clothing but also instill values in them. Today’s children may possess higher technical skills and more academic qualifications than their parents. This, however, does not mean that they are wiser.
Children should always respect their parents. It is our duty to respect our parents. In the Holy Scriptures, God commanded us to respect our parents. Whichever religion you follow and whichever God you worship, they all teach us to respect our parents. In the Ten Commandments, the first commandment is to honor your parents. It says, “Honor your father and your mother for they gave birth to you and raised you up.”
Respect is a fundamental virtue in the world. Respect for each other will avert any misunderstanding between individuals or communities. In the family, there are various reasons as to why children should strive to respect their parents. The Holy Bible commands that children should value and respect their parents every day. It is the only commandment with a promise. This commandment depicts that parents are co-creators with God; therefore, respecting parents is respecting God, the ultimate maker. Importantly, honoring parents is an expression of thankfulness to those who bring life to the world.
Showing parental respect in our everyday lives provides us with the ability to treat every person we meet with kindness and adoration. The American evangelist, Billy Graham once said, “A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his/her parents will not have true respect for anyone.”
Children today imagine their parents have everything the world has to offer, and that they are there to serve to their every whim and fancy. Every child needs to realise that sometimes parents have more responsibilities and hardships that maybe they don’t see. They try their hardest to support their families and don’t need a child that causes extra stress to their everyday lives.
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
