Every Adult Can Impact a Child's Character

When I was growing up as a teenager, I remember vividly one of the teachings of my grandmother back then. She told me that not only the biological parents of a child train a child but also the society. What this means is that whenever a child does a particular thing that is not right, especially out there, any adult close to the child has a responsibility to correct such a child.

I don't know if this is applicable to other cultures, but at least in my culture, it's like a norm. A child can receive correction from other adults or parents and not necessarily from the biological family of that child.

As long as it is done politely and not inflicting pain on that child via physical punishment, I think there's nothing wrong with another person correcting my child, and I think children should be able to accept corrections whenever the need be and life goes on. It's this kind of little thing that will make our society great. Because of this upbringing mindset I grew up with, I find it difficult to overlook a displayed bad character in a child wherever I find myself. I would always try to correct such a child, at least in a polite manner, hoping for a positive outcome, and it becomes a win-win for our society at large.

Earlier today, I went out, and when I got to my destination, I was majestically walking down to where I would sit down to relax, waiting for the event. As I was walking down, there was this little child around 6 years old or thereabout who was also walking down in front of me, and just before he walked past a packed vehicle, a teenage boy forcefully opened his mom's car, and the door of the packed car hit the forehead of that little boy passing by. The boy screamed in pain, and I rushed to give him a soft massage on his forehead, calming the little boy down. Then I looked at the teenage boy who mistakenly hit the little boy and expected a sorry from him, but he didn't care. Then I politely asked him to say sorry to this little boy for hitting his forehead with the car door, but surprisingly, the teenage boy told me that he dare not say sorry and that it's the little boy's fault; he should have looked before passing. Like seriously,?

I was astonished, especially with the way the teenage boy arrogantly talked back at me. The mom was there and never said a word, and of course I understand. I left the boy and kept thinking about what some of us parents do about instilling morals in our children. Little I am sorry wouldn't hurt; it's part of good morals a child should learn at home. Sometimes it doesn't matter who is right or wrong, but a gentle approach to issues goes a long way in achieving a better society.

Wrapping up, parenting I can say it is an unending journey because even as I am a mother currently, I still receive advice and corrections from my parents. I still receive corrections from other adults out there whenever the situation presents itself, and I feel it's necessary that our children continue to learn morals, and encouraging them to extend the good morals outside home shouldn't be negotiable.

Images were taken from canva