It’s important to give our children love, safety and care BY AISHA AL KUWARI In recent times, the number of problems that children fall into as a result of parents’ neglect has increased. From the child that was tortured by her nanny, to one who lost his life after drowning in a swimming pool due to the parents’ absence or neglect, and the girl who was molested by the family’s driver as he was driving her to school. These children are torn apart after falling into the spider web of misconduct, as they cannot differentiate between wrong and right, and the responsibility lies in the hands of their parents who are living in oblivion, and fail to take preventive measures in protecting their children from such dangers. After the incidents take place, the parents cry out with demands for charging the nannies or the drivers with cases, forgetting, or avoiding the fact that the parents themselves should be charged and tried first. Children are a responsibility. It is not important to bear lots of children, boastful of their number, providing them with appropriate clothing and suitable homes. It is more important to provide them with protection, safety, care, and nurture. Responsibility towards children is prescribed in Islam, laying an ethical foundation, and it is an important obligation to carry out. Taking responsibility, as everyone should be responsible for their children, is reflected in the Prophet’s, peace be upon him, stressing that the man is the shepherd of his family, and is therefore responsible for them. This responsibility must be borne by both father and mother in caring for their children and devoting time and attention. Parents must be aware of the distractions this world, for just as we need children, children need us; our instructions, advice, and care. Beware of making them feel like orphans, just as reflected by the sincerity of the poet who said: “It is not an orphan whose parents’ lives have ended, An orphan is one who was abandoned by his mother or father, who are too busy.” Therefore, we must take care of the children we are entrusted with as a responsibility from a higher authority. It is our mission to nurture them responsibly, teach right and wrong, and explain the dangers present in the home, or those that can occur to children at different ages. Our children are our responsibility. It is inevitable that we must protect them and their environment from any potential risks, provide them with nurture, and select carefully amongst those we entrust them with during our absence. We all believe in fate and destiny, and that what happens to us was divinely meant to be, but we must acknowledge that in such cases, the adoption of preventive measures is better than looking for cures, as remorse and therapy will do little to help our children after the fact. Let us remember while we are preoccupied in work and personal lives, having forgotten our children, that there are those on the other side who are waiting and wishing to bear children, taking every effort for treatment, and praying for this blessing, which many others fail to recognise. Remember that raising honourable children is a responsibility that must be taken into account, and extra care should be devoted to providing them with comfort, safety, and security. The Peninsula

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