KIDS THESE DAYS

I decided to walk to a local mall late one Sunday evening because Eskom had spared us loadshedding. It was a nice warm evening and the walk complemented the mood.

But I was greatly disturbed when I got to a street corner. A teenage boy and girl were making out, oblivious to others.

It took me some time to compose myself and I awakened my parental instincts. There was no way I was going to walk past and pretend nothing had happened.

I told them to take their business elsewhere. I gave a harsh lecture.

I was expecting a retaliation of some sort considering how rowdy today’s teens have become.

But they apologised and walked away. I felt like I had been at the right place at the right time. I felt like I had achieved something.

In our everyday lives we often choose to ignore teenagers. But a bit of guidance saves the future leaders of our rainbow nation.

If you are a parent, every child you see is your baby. That is why the wise choose to assert themselves with this adage: it takes a village to raise a child.

NKOSI MAKATHINI

Why do parents think its all right to bring your children into a shop and allow them to touch everything, even if they are eating ice cream.

Surely if you give your child a present you want it new, and the people who buy my stock also want to give new gifts, not grubby items that look second-hand.

In fact your children are copying you. Do you really think it’s okay to stroke the teddy bears, squash flower petals between your fingers and open packaged items?

It isn’t – you are killing the flowers and damaging someone else’s gift.

Apart from showing a lack of manners and damaging property, you are setting a very bad example.

With Covid we were advised on hygiene and not touching. Do we have to have another epidemic for people to keep their hands to themselves and not touch what doesn’t belong to them? JANET HOWE, HARARE