#Mamaraskit: The Growing Crisis of Parenting in South Sudan
By Betty Yom Mageer, Nairobi, Kenya
Thursday, May 20, 2021 (PW) — There is a serious growing crisis of parenting going on in South Sudan. The parenting crisis has in the past few years increased tremendously in many families and communities across South Sudan and it’s shocking and disappointing entirely. If you look at many families across our country, you’ll notice many rebellious and indiscipline children. If you look at many homes. You’ll find despicable rebellion amongst kids and parenting crisis likewise. Some young kids have become totally disrespectful and disobedient and they don’t listen, accept and follow their parents’ guidance and instructions anymore.
Moreover, since the time when the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) was signed and self-determination accomplished in South Sudan. We’ve witnessed many children becoming rebellious to their biological mothers and fathers across South Sudan. We’ve seen many young kids becoming disloyal and disrespectful to their biological parents, family members, relatives and general public in South Sudan. Additionally, why’re children rebellious and disrespectful in South Sudan? Why’re teens abusing drugs? Why’re teenagers engaging in unhealthy sexual activities? Why’re young children drinking alcohol?
Why do teenagers involved themselves in criminal activities such as robbery and join violent criminal gangs in South Sudan? Furthermore, what’re some parents doing about the criminal and rebellious behaviors of their off springs in South Sudan? Have parents abandon their parental responsibility in South Sudan? Who’s supposed to instill right values and principles to young children in South Sudan? Is it government or parents of the rebellious children themselves? In addition to that, there’re many kids in South Sudan who’re disturbing people in the major cities in South Sudan.
For instance, in Juba, Wau, Malakal and Bor. There’re those young and grown-up children who normally robbed women’s handbags and attacked people at their homes at night and steal valuable goods and then run away. Those young criminals arecommonly known in South Sudan as “Toronto boys” or “niggas”. The so called “Toronto boys” or “niggas” are a by-product of the ongoing parenting crisis in South Sudan. They’re a result of failure of some parents across South Sudan. Such a parental reluctance and irresponsibility has puts their off springs’ future at risk and it’s a shame altogether.
In South Sudan, too many biological mums and dads of kids have abdicated their inspiring, instructing, disciplining, nurturing and guiding responsibilities by forfeiting them to churches, schools, peers, media and society. Moreover, as a society and biological mothers and fathers in South Sudan. We ought to take awesome responsibility of taking care of our off springs before they become criminal “Toronto boys” or “niggas” in the country and to give government and the entire public a hard time to control them.
The responsibility of teaching children excellent values and principles in life lied with the parents and not with the government who’s preoccupied with other important national issues in South Sudan. Additionally, parents have more influence on the lives of their teenagers than anyone else they encounter in life. Everything we know from psychologyconfirms that and from kids’ perspective, parents are the most significant folks to them in the world. Parents of rebellious children need to teach them the repercussions of irresponsible and criminal manners in South Sudan. One of the greatest challenge in parenting today in South Sudan is the failure of some parents in their parental responsibilities. How could a person give birth to children that he/she can’t raise, teach and instill vital life’s values and principles in them? How’d anyone in South Sudan allow his children to become criminals on the streets?
Moreover, parenting without providing kids a workable, reasonable and tested valued system is like giving birth to kidsand let an irresponsible criminal take care of them in life. Lastly, parents of rebellious kids need to instill right identity in their kids and let them know who they are, what they believe and where they are going in life. Parenting is the greatest responsibility of parents and they need to do it wholeheartedly and we’ll succeed in eradicating the ongoing parenting crisis in South Sudan.
The author is a women’s rights activist and can be reach via Email: bettyyom2009@gmail.com
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