This included the involvement of neighbours, extended family members, teachers, churches, elders and any other adults in the community.
With the changing times and children’s rights constantly under the spotlight, some adults have opted to avoid becoming involved in other people’s matters.
Walls in our townships have become higher and everyone now mind their own business.
This has even gotten to the point where parents fight with other adults who try to call their children to order.
But what has this really done in our communities?
Today we see more and more young people disrespecting the older generation and doing as they please, because they know that they will not be reprimanded.
The youth display affection in public spaces, drink alcohol in public, backchat and say anything anywhere regardless of who they are with.
Maybe this is because they know that if they do wrong and are reprimanded by other adults, their parents will step in whether their child is right or wrong.
This has even reached the point where you will hear children saying to adults who are trying to restore order in the community, “you cannot tell me what to do because you are not my mother or father”.
If we want to go back to the way the youth used to respect their elders, then we need some form of moral regeneration and then we need to look back at what worked in the past and take that as a guideline to improve the current situation.
At home the youth need to be taught the importance of respect for all and they need to know that their own parents will not just stand by while they do wrong.
It means that parents or adults in communities also need to support each other and work together to raise young people.
Keep in mind that when someone steps in to call your child to order, it does not mean that as a parent you are not doing a good enough job, it might just mean parents or adults are working together as a nation to raise a child.
