In a world where we are losing lives at an excessively high rate, almost daily, there is no surprise to me that the suspects and victims are getting younger and younger. When a nine-years-old child can kill another child, and there is more remorse shown for him than that of the victim, it is no surprise to me, that the victims are becoming younger. There are several cries for the murders to cease, for the crime to end. Where are the cries for the help that these children need before we get here?
When we, as parents wait until our children reach high school before we complain that they are unable to do the basics, such as read and write, we are contributing to the problem. When we, as tax paying citizens, allow a school system to fail our children, we have failed them as well. We too, must take accountability for those children we are entrusted to raise. When we allow our children to be disrespectful to other adults for any reason, at any age, WE ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM.
Loving our children not only involves support. Loving them requires discipline and accountability. It requires tough love, saying no, and oftentimes accepting that because we hold them accountable, they will dislike us. Loving our children will require us to take a long hard look in the mirror and change some things about ourselves. It will require us to seek therapy for those childhood traumas and generational curses that need to be broken.
Many of our children are committing adult crimes, yet we fail to hold them accountable for their actions. We want to blame everyone and everything but them and us. No one told them to steal, rob, shoot, etc. The crime they committed was their choice or our neglect; whichever the case, who should be held accountable? Should innocent victims continue to suffer at the hands of our disrespectful youth, or should we, as parents, be held accountable for failing them along the way?
When we see the anger issues, the disrespect, and the lack of focus early on, we have to address it. When we see the signs that our children are hurting, we have to have conversations about resources that are needed instead of shifting blame. I refuse to believe that any nine years old who is killing, playing with guns, stealing cars or anything similar is not suffering from some trauma. At the very least, they are emulating someone/something in their surroundings; therefore, where is the accountability?
We are suffering. The bloodshed and loss of life is out of hand and must stop. We must hold our children accountable now! We are their first teachers. If we do not get our mental health in order for us, we have to do it to save our children. The only hope we have for a bright, healthy and long future is through our youth. If we don’t hold them accountable for their actions now, this cold world will hold them accountable later. We must start by holding ourselves accountable and then we can be of a clearer mind to save our youth.
MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS!!! Defy the Stigma!
Dying to be Perfect 