By Usman Oladimeji
A social analyst and child welfare expert, Dr. Abideen Adeola Adewusi, has described a virtuous child as one who follows the good instructions of his or her parents in a way that leads to success in life. Dr. Adewusi, who is the Executive Director of the Centre for Appropriate Technology for Rural Women (CAPFEE), Kwara State, Coordinator for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, Kwara State Deputy Coordinator of the Network Against Child Trafficking, Labour and Abuse, and Kwara State Lead Researcher and Policy Writer for Civil Society in Scaling Up Nutrition in Nigeria, made the remark during a discussion on responsible parenting and child upbringing.
He lamented that Nigerians now embrace foreign culture in a negative way, noting that discipline is no longer what it used to be. According to him, in the past, correcting children in the community was the responsibility of everyone, but that communal sense of responsibility has now weakened, leaving many children without proper guidance.
Dr. Adewusi identified economic hardship as one of the major factors affecting responsible parenting, explaining that many children now begin to fend for themselves from an early age while parents struggle to make a living. He added that peer group influence and social media have also contributed significantly to the moral decline among children, exposing them to behaviours that conflict with family and cultural values.
He stressed that parents and the community must ensure children enjoy their rights to life, good health and sound education, warning that without those rights, children may go astray and do whatever they want. He said upholding these rights is essential to raising disciplined, responsible and successful children.
The discussion also generated divergent views from callers, with some arguing that the responsibility of raising disciplined children rests mainly on parents, while others insisted that government has a major role to play in providing the enabling environment, support and policies that will help parents and communities raise responsible children.
