Childhood has always been considered a stage in a persons life with a lot of limitations. These limitations include freedom to make certain choices such as places to visit. For many years, parents and guardians have always played an important role in controlling children. Recent development has to lead to different perceptions about childhood to the point that one may admire this stage in life. This paper will present the two sides of a coin that argue, Childhood become a positive time in peoples lives.
Children are more democratic and may consider opinions from both parents. Democratic parenting is another factor that has made childhood a positive stage in a persons life. In cases of divorce, children are likely to weigh cases from both sides before making a choice or decision. The concept of democratic parenting has gained a lot of significance in modern society. The concept of democratic parenting recognizes the rights of children. Most parents in the US have adopted this approach and often adopt the negotiated democracy approach to help children make choices. Modern parenting is established on the belief that children have the ability to make the right decision whenever given the best advice as well as an opportunity to exercise their democratic rights within the family. The voice of a child is equally important as that of the parent. For instance, a child may choose school A over school B, cite reasons, and the parents must consider this democratic right. This implies that the most important component in democratic parenting is open communication. In open communication, both the child and the parents present suggestions and understanding which leads to an amicable solution.
Families are more child-centered, and many laws aimed at protecting children have been enacted. For instance, most societies have established laws that ensure parents are available and committed to providing basic needs to their children. These basic needs include access to good education, good health, food, and security. The society has ensured that families have become child-centered through the establishment of institutions such as child welfare institutions. The main role of this institution ensures that all laws enacted to protect children are implemented. Child welfare officers have been given authority to prosecute any person or parent violating the articulations in child protection laws. It is also evident that most families have become child-centered from the number of children in a family. Both families, as well as the law, have established a maximum number of children per family to enhance sustainability. This target is to ensure that every child gets the maximum attention at the family level.
A change in the view of children in society has become a crucial factor in making childhood positive in peoples lives. Children have been considered as special in the society, which is evident in the laws aimed at protecting children. Such changes have been addressed by Donzelot in his publication that addresses the issue of policing of families. The modern society has offered a lot of protection aimed at enhancing the social, mental, psychological, and physical development of children. Cases involving children such as child labor have constantly been condemned by both local and international bodies. Internationally, childrens rights have been developed and recognized by many countries around the world.
Despite the argument that childhood has become important, there have been situations that have made childhood a negative time in a persons life. Inequality between adults and children due to the influences of age patriarchy is a crucial component in this argument. Children may be restrained from engaging in some activities that adult people engage in. A simple example can be derived from movies where children are prohibited from watching specific movies. This limitation of children to exploit is made childhood comparable to a virtual curfew. Another example is the issue of national identity cards which categorizes the society into two distinct group. This distinction has always presented the adults with more opportunities and priorities as compared to the children.
Pressure for children to grow up more quickly and become sexualized is another factor making childhood a challenging stage. The modern society that is characterized by technology is also characterized by forces that tend to sexualize children at a very early stage. Instances such as democratic parenting negatively affect parenting; especially in situations that they would have exercised total control over children. Whenever children have a right to make choices such as having a romantic relationship at an early stage, democratic parenting may fail to correct the situation. Information technology has also exposed children to adult content which plays a crucial role evoking sexual desires among children. Children tend to assume adult roles such as romantic engagement.
Modern situations that are characterized by Children poisoning themselves with junk food and spending less time with parents is also a concern in modern childhood. With current trends in climate change, the current natural resources can hardly provide the worlds population with sufficient health food. With the accelerated reduction in food diversity, most families are unable to afford healthy food leaving junk food as the only option. Also, the modern child has developed a weird passion for junk food which has been linked to several health concerns such as cancer. It is a trend that has gained a lot of fame, and most children have adopted this lifestyle. It is also evident that the modern child spends little time with their parents. Children would rather opt to watch movies and cartoons or play games at the expense of spending time with their parents. This breaks the parent-child ties and makes childhood a very fragile state. Also, a current trend referred to as career parents affect the parent-child relations. Some parents spend a lot of time to enhance wealth and improve family income at the expense of spending time with their children. It can be argued that the children have been left to the society which makes them vulnerable to the shortcomings of the society.
It is evident that the modern child faces two contrasting situations that elicit a mixed reaction as far as childhood is concerned. From one perspective, childhood seems a positive time in a person life since the laws in place are meant to ensure the healthy development of children. Families have also become more child-centered, and the democratic parenting has also made childhood desirable. On the other hand, the gap between the modern child and the parents has been widened. Also, the modern child faces a challenge of current dynamics that tend to sexualize children. Another concern of childhood is the fact that children are exposed to junk food which has been linked to health concerns.
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