Limelight: Who stole childood? By Lubna Abdel-Aziz That blissful state of enchanted innocence and tender purity -- where has it gone? There was a time when the definition of childhood extended from birth until full adulthood, but that time is long gone. What we do know is that childhood is that period between infancy and adolescence, but that too seems like a thing of the past. Childhood flies by faster than a speeding arrow, and before we blink an eye, that child is an adult, much to everyone's loss, especially the child's. Modern science divided the stages of growth into infancy, adolescence and adulthood. Infancy starts from birth to about 18 months. Adolescence begins with puberty at about thirteen and lasts to adulthood. The period in between is childhood and its many stages: toddler, preschool, early school, and preteen years. This gives the parents every chance to influence these formative years of emotional, physical and psychological growth. Acquired attitudes and behavior of these years determines the kind of adult the child will eventually become. Parents play a vital role in their children's development during this stage. Family values, traditions and sound ethics taught in the home, lay the solid basis for the future adult. They are the building tools that provide the adult with confidence and self-esteem. Such conditions exist no more -- why? Does the child spend enough time in the home environment? Do the parents have enough time to impact their children's development? Educators have concluded that the answer is negative on both counts. Occupied with a busy and stressful life, parents have easily given up their rights to form their children's characters. Modern technology, television, videos, and the internet may have "lasting effects on a child's physical cognitive and social development skills." Its disadvantages far outweigh its advantages, and it pains us to see our children robbed of their childhood. There remains one hope -- schools. Unfortunately, schools that once were the extension of the home environment have become accomplices to the theft. Last week the National Health Service in the UK started a campaign directed at 10 year-olds to delay sexual intercourse. Shocking indeed, especially that it also included the distribution of documents entitled Pleasure. This, from a society known for its stiff upper lip and straight laced Victorian manners. The argument offered by Steve Slack director of the Center for HIV and Sexual Health at NHS, Sheffield, is that "far from causing youth to actually become sexually active, it could cause them to delay having sex until they are sure they will enjoy the experience." I personally find this offensive, outrageous, and an added burden for the child's immature comprehension." Can we not keep them in the playground a little longer? Whatever happened to fairy tales and nursery rhymes? Our society has replaced them with tales of monster killers crashing automobiles, the mall hip-hop and hard rock. Snow White is gobbled up by her wicked stepmother as the seven dwarfs look on with glee. Home-cooked meals have also been a thing of the past. Junk food and take away, snacks and candy help fill up the hungry child as she/he sits staring at the TV or the net, getting more obese by the hour. There is little time for the family gathering around the dinner table. A kitchen encounter of "Hi's and Bye's" is about the total conversation exchanged between members of the family as the child rushes to school to attend his first class on sex education. In its Sunday edition of February 2009, The Observer newspaper of Britain queried: ".....is the 21st century existence really that awful for our youngsters?" It goes on to state: "that childhood is different, seems little doubt. Today's young people live in an era of rapid change that many fear threatens their growth and development." Yet the British Government plans to introduce explicit sex education to children as young as four. Once an optional course in English schools PSHE (Personal, Social, Health, and Economic Education) will become a compulsory subject for all students from ages 4 onwards. While such courses are well-intended, generations have managed very well without them. Our population has increased exponentially without the benefit of sex education. This whole concept of educating them in order to protect them needs further examination and re-assessment. Schools should return to be the parents' allies and not their adversaries. They are far too eager to teach too much, too soon, at the cost of proper reading, writing, and mathematical skills. Ah yes! We now have the calculator -- who needs math skills! Why have we eliminated childhood's precious years of discovery and exploration? Given the different cultures around the globe, Chinese children may develop differently from British children, but the internet has not only shrunk the childhood period, but also the distance between countries and cultures. There is no denying that Western culture - music, movies, fashion, food and behavior - is dominant and invading the globe sooner rather than later. Is the situation therefore hopeless? Are we to submit to the concept that society has changed, so why not childhood? Shall we allow the internet to replace the parents with its vast amount of information and easy access to violence, bias, hate, profanity and even pornography? Is it not imperative that the parents monitor internet usage? Should not the parents have at least as much influence as school peers and the popular media? But do they have the time or inclination to take their children to the theatre, to the museums, exhibits, to parks and playgrounds? Stressful home lives, divorces, careers, and a lack of positive family relationships all contribute to the easy disappearance of childhood. A study by scientists in Bristol found that girls are reaching puberty two years earlier than their grandmothers, probably caused by inactivity and obesity. The culprits? TV, internet, cars, junk food, etc. Two more valuable years snatched out of childhood. Without the assistance of schools, and a cohesive family environment the burden is heavy on the parents, but they are the only hope for saving childhood before the very word disappears from our vernaculum and becomes obsolete. The childhood shows the man, As morning shows the day -- Paradise Regained, John Milton (1608-1674)
