I wrote this exact article on my other blog at 3steps.com. Although it my seem like double-dipping, the subject matter is so dearly important, that I am willing to post it in as many places as possible; I also release anyone from any liability as far as plagiarism goes. In other words, the subject at hand is worth more to me than my credibility or rights as an author.

Life is one hard place to live in. All the years struggle really add up. Imagine how many buckets we would fill if we truly let ourselves cry when the pain got to us. We endure all the fear, worry, stress, insult, rejection, dejection, embarrassment, and many more. Even if you have been fortunate, I bet you know a lot of people who have not been. And if you have been even more fortunate to be surrounded by people with good circumstances, then you must have at least observed the news and seen the agony of tortured souls. The worst part of all the suffering is that there is a significant number of people who don’t deserve to suffer, like the kids who just happened to be born into the mud pit.

This brings me to the point of this piece. First let me ask a question: If you had to chance to sing the national anthem in front of a stadium full of people, and you knew that you risked embarrassing yourself because you weren’t sure of the words, would you still go ahead and do it. You would either decline, or if you loved the chance so much, you would spend time learning the words and the training your voice for the next opportunity. So why is it then, that so many people choose have children at a time when they are not capable of being adequate parents. Look at all the teen pregnancy numbers to get an idea of what I mean. And its not just there, but also married people who spend all day away from their kids coz both parents have to work to pay off that Lexus and the Plasma TV, or the $300,000 mortgage. I mean, kids need love and attention and if we don’t spend time to guide our future generations, but leave it to the hands of people who couldn’t care less, then I must humbly but honestly say that we are seriously screwed.

I need not say more because the statistics abound with reports of teens using sex, drugs, and violence to fill the emotional void left by their parents, and the news is filled with cries about the declining quality of education, and the high drop-out rates. All I’m trying to say is, we gotta spread the word about preparedness, coz our kids are so precious that we must get it right, instead of hoping to make it work. Wait till you are financially and emotionally stable to have children. Please don’t have them until you can raise them. I’ve heard tears from lonely children for so many years; I’ve seen these children grow up to be troubled teens, and then later to wrecked adults. It may not happen every single time, but it happens enough times for us to stop taking chances. Our children need us to show them the way. Not just to tell them how it is, but to actually guide them, and the gradually ease off. A baby sitter isn’t good enough. We’ve gotta make sure we’re there for them, especially while they’re still little and impressionable. Because after those crucial developmental years pass, then its pretty much a one in a million chance that we will ever make a connection with them again. I hope we all take this seriously and spread the word. It is our future, and we must take control of it.

But don’t take my word for it. Check the stats and do your research like you would if you were starting up a business. See what absentee parenting leads to. See what they say about what most emotionally-deprived children grow up to be. I’m not calling for smothering (as a matter of fact pls avoid this). But do be there to guide, protect, support, and love.