Divorce
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), separation
or divorce is such a big blow and loss to children, irrespective of their
age. "The scariest thing about divorce for kids under age 6 is the
unknown; it can be stressful, sad, and confusing," says Mona Gupta, D.O.,
a psychiatrist in Raleigh, NC. "It is not uncommon for children to think,
'What will happen to me if mom and dad do not live together?'"
while we may think that the far reaching scars of divorce only affect a
husband and a wife, children suffer the most.
Death/Losing a parent/ other family member
After
teaching the story of Joseph in a Sunday School class, I asked them what they
were most afraid of. Although the spelling of the word 'death' was a challenge
to the six year olds, a reasonable number stated that as one of their fears.
Ironically, in our African setup, parents or adults tend to shy away from
discussing this topic with their children. At funerals, often times you will
see people stand next to the widow or widower yet no one pays attention to the
children who at most times are distraught.
Not
having friends
Its
not a matter of peer pressure and it’s not just a grown-ups thing. Children too
have a void that can only be filled with friends. Children have a social
life which if not nurtured makes them live in fear due to the isolation.
Bad
dreams and nightmares
As I grew up, clothes hung at a corner took the
shape of a bad man intending to attack once my mother lay me to sleep. And the
fear was tangibly real. Children fear even the most silliest of things as per
grown up's judgement. And the fear is climaxed in their dreams and nightmares.
The rapidly evolving technology is not helping the situation.
Image credits: http://saypeople.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment