Nollywood actress Toyin Abraham has urged parents and guardians to prioritise instilling values of respect, courtesy, and kindness in the younger generation.
Expressing concern over recent incidents involving disrespectful behaviour from young individuals, Abraham, in a post via her Instagram handle on Monday, emphasised the crucial role of parenting in shaping children’s characters.
“Recent online encounters and observations compel me to share this heartfelt message with every parent and guardian. The quality of children we are raising today needs serious attention,” she asserted.
Abraham lamented the rise of a concerning trend where children view respect and courtesy as burdens. “We now have kids who see respect and courtesy as burdens. How do we feel reading some of the things the youth say to adults online under the guise of being ‘woke’ or adopting a ‘no tolerance’ attitude?” she questioned.
Drawing from personal experiences, the actress acknowledged a stark contrast between the upbringing she received and the way children are being raised today.
“Many of us were not raised the way we are raising our kids today. We are raising them with kid gloves because we believe times have changed. However, different times are not an excuse to raise disrespectful children.”
Abraham emphasised the importance of instilling respect and gratitude, even towards one’s parents. “Despite our age and blessings, there are still things we would not tell our parents, not out of fear, but out of respect,” she remarked.
Citing the recent tragic incident at Ajayi Crowther University, where a student was killed in an act of mob justice, Abraham underscored the severe consequences of a lack of moral values and home training.
“The recent tragic event at Ajayi Crowther University, where students killed a fellow student in the name of jungle justice, highlights the severe consequences of a lack of home training and moral values. Even if theft occurred, it does not justify taking another person’s life,” she said.
Abraham acknowledged the challenges of disciplining children but emphasised the long-term benefits of instilling values like respect, courtesy, responsibility, kindness, and hard work.
“Respect, courtesy, responsibility, kindness, and hard work are values we were raised with. Although we may not have liked the discipline at the time, we are grateful to our parents today for instilling these values in us,” she stated.
The actress further emphasised the responsibility of parents in nation-building by raising quality individuals.
“We have a nation-building responsibility to raise the next generation of quality individuals. Happy Children’s Day once again. May God keep our children for us, protect us from all forms of evil, and grant us a great celebration filled with wonderful experiences for the kids.”