Overwhelmed Parents Overwhelmed Children Did I ask to be Born?

Dr. Roger McIntire’s Teenagers and Parents in 10 Steps to a Better Relationship and Raising Good Kids in Tough Times says : “In reacting to everyday problems, children most commonly imitate the adults around them at home and school. You may not always notice because they imitate the style more often than the actions. Attitudes toward others, conversational style and temperament are the durable characteristics of teachers and parents that are copied.”

Words - Shanthi Wijesinghe

Overwhelmed Parents Overwhelmed Children Did I ask to  be Born?

The aggressive undertone is getting louder with children and adolescents getting the correction they need - “We didn’t ask to be born!”  Dismissing this serious statement is our loss. In 2019, Raphael Samuel, grounded in the philosophy of antinatalism (the belief that life is full of suffering and people should stop procreating), argued that humans never consented to being born. Very recently a 21-year-old brought in a lawsuit against his parents because he never chose to be born and being forced to work for a life he never asked for – citing that “it is not fair” These are real situations. We in Sri Lanka can be complacent about this not hitting us in paradise isle..or should we take notice? 

Who’s listening? 

I definitely am paying attention. I listen to children and adolescents and the unmistakable feeling of instability it brings to their little hearts. Little…I say little because how much ever brawn your teenager has, his brain is still that of A CHILD. Our brain completes the cycle of maturity around the age of 22-25. Therefore your 12-18 year old who’s still having a meltdown is acceptable. Do not get confused with the growth of the body. Science is factual. 

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