Children in a playfield. [Photo/gstat.com]
The joys of seeing your children grow up are unending.
However, with growth comes independence in both behavior and decision making.
We have heard phrases like, asiyefunzwa na mamaye hufunzwa na ulimwengu.
About a week ago, a story of a four-year-old child who was sexually molested by a 14-year-old boy from a famous Nairobi-based school erupted on social media.
The suspect has been reported with two other rape cases at Embakasi Police Station under OB number 65/28/10/7.
However, the mother of the boy had allegedly been protecting her son from multiple accounts of indiscipline.
For some parents, the nightmare of having to deal with repetitive bad behavior can be overwhelming and they, therefore, result in enrolling their children in rehabilitation or counseling center.
Even siblings are different from each other. As the parent raise the child, so does the child raise the parent in a way.
Parents who are psychologically disturbed, abusive or those who neglect their roles as parents can adversely affect how their children turn out.
Some of the things parents can look out, for example, are when their children become increasingly secretive without any valid explanation.
Although not all criminals are a product of bad parenting.
Children begin to make their own decisions at an early age.
Many child criminals are a product of devoted parents and may even have a sibling from the same family who is the complete opposite and abides by the law.
Some other aspects such as peer pressure, social isolation, long periods of unsupervised time with peers and low family income may largely contribute to criminal offenses by children.
In conclusion, the best a parent can do is be a good parent because every single day a child needs as much discipline as they do freedom of expression.