I was invited to felicitate with Binta at her granddaughter’s child dedication and as I saw the proud parents making the rounds of greetings, I rejoiced with them for the bundle of joy. However, I pondered how ready they were for raising a child in today’s world.

In the past, parents were primarily concerned with education, food, shelter, clothing, proper upbringings, religious affiliation, and protection from external aggression including sexual predators. Today, however, there is the additional concern of protecting the sanctity of our children in a morally depraved world or as a friend put it, a morally bankrupt world. As my thoughts drifted away from my immediate surroundings, my attention was caught by a nearby scene. An elderly lady had sent a young child to a nearby supermarket for wrapping paper and the child had returned with the wrapping paper and promptly pocketed the change without recourse to the sender. The lady berated the child on his actions, but he remained unremorseful and returned the change to her grudgingly. When interrogated about his action, he justified it by saying, it was his just compensation for running the errand and she could afford it anyway.

My thoughts switched back to the challenges of the digital age for proper upbringing. As parents get busier with providing the essentials in an inflationary economy, they must not lose sight of the mentoring and training process for the children if they are to be useful to themselves, their families, and society at large. How will children be protected from themselves with so much access to pornographic sites on screens—phones, tablets, personal computers, television screens, etc.? Another thorny matter is the emergence of gender identity issues which has been cascaded to children’s TV programs and movies. Exposure to the role of influencers in social media and various uncensored content creators, further places children at risk of imbibing the wrong values.

This calls into question the right age for exposure to phones, laptops, and tablets. Can their use be properly censored to prevent abuse? What of peer influence and its attendant effects? The questions are myriad, but our 21^st-century parents must take these matters seriously as they navigate the digital era. I believe gadgets will have to be considered on a need-to-have basis and cannot be dependent on peer influence. Parents will also have to devise means of monitoring their children’s exposure to content especially what may be considered damaging to their development.

Undoubtedly, religious bodies also have a role to play even as worship and other programmes have developed an online presence. The right doctrines must be taught, and children brought up in the way of the Lord. Above all, parents must not neglect the place of prayer in the lives of their children and must expose them to it from an early age. May the Lord grant parents, grandparents, and all who care for children, the wisdom to navigate these times and help them raise children who are worthy of emulation.

Love

Havilah