As I waited in the departure lounge of a local airport, I noticed there were many children about but it was understandable since it was summer holiday. One other thing I noticed was the way most of the children were dressed. Most of them, especially the girls, were dressed in bum shorts, halter necks, cut off jeans, etc. The clothes in themselves weren't the issue per se; it was the overall look of the children that had me bothered. That was definitely not the first time I noticed it. A few months before, I had taken my kids to a birthday party and found myself in what could easily have been a night club for kids. Scanty clothing such as tight or very short clothes, bum shorts, long weaves, etc, seemed to be the dress code. I noticed my daughter glancing around her, probably wondering, "What in God's world are these other children wearing?" Or something like that. Not long after, the kids were called out to dance to the hit songs of the season – these songs in my opinion should be rated PG 13. 4-6 year olds trooped to the dance floor, miming the sexually explicit songs and gyrating their bodies in the most sensual manner. They could have given Beyonce a run for her money. They ran their hands over their bodies, shook their booties hard while their parents cheered them on. The boys had their upper shirts unbuttoned and rapped along perfectly to gangster raps while doing flawless break dance. Those who danced like actual children where shooed off the dance floor while the lewd ones were cheered on. As I watched, my child stared out of this circle looking longingly at the others dancing. I knew it was time to leave. As we left, we went to an eatery where I bought them ice cream and gently explained to them the concept of decency and dancing with decorum. Another time, at a game arcade for kids, I ran into a lady who had made-up her kids' faces like they were mannequins for Tara or Mac beauty products. Their skirts were so tight, that running up and down the slide was uncomfortable for them.
So the question is, why are we sexualizing our kids? Why does your 4, 6 or 9 year old girl have to look like a chick? Why does she have to be hot or sexy? Should your 8 year old son go around with a comb in his hair and his pants sagged almost to his ankles? If your child wears bum shorts out of the house at age 3, why should she be expected to wear longer ones at 15? If she wears 2 rings and 12 bangles at 6, why won't she pierce a second ear hole at 17 and her bellybutton at 19? Why won't your son pierce his own ear at 15? Are you setting your children up to be immodest and indecent? What trend are you starting them on? That all these are fashionable or trendy doesn't mean its ok. Some parents even dress their children like this to church. Church! What are you teaching the child? What happened to children wearing dresses to church? Children can look very nice and decent; they can be well covered and still look good. In this age, when children are being abused, is it wise to make your child an object of anyone's sexual attention?

When I hear some children belt out sexually explicit lyrics, I ask myself how they became exposed to these songs! As a parent, you can't play the CD of such songs and not expect your children to pick them up; the same goes for watching Mtv Base, Channel O, etc with your children. Studies have shown that children exposed to a high level of sexually explicit information tend to become sexually active early. Is that your goal as a parent? Being a Parent involves sacrifice. You will need to avoid listening to such music where your children are. Most of those lyrics demean women and teach your daughter that she's just a intimacy gadget and her body is for squeezing. It teaches the boys that money is everything and women are things to be used to satisfy their primal urges. This music introduces them to a degrading pop culture. Our children have their lives ahead of them, let's set them on the right path by teaching them to dress decently and sing nice or age-appropriate songs. Let your children be children. Train up a child in the way that s/he should go and when s/ he is old, s/he would not depart from it. Do you agree that children are unnecessarily exposed to sexually explicit elements? Is it possible that some parents are victims themselves or is it that they don't know any better?

Written by Oluseye Igbafe



Cc: RoyalRoy
cc: lalasticlala

It is because of "modern" moms who allow their kids to hav such life... Imajine a 9 year old girl havn a samsumg galaxy phone... And to burst ur bubbles, this girl even knows how to browse!

Hmmmmm.... They call it civilisation

Choose carefully whoever u want to marry, u cant marry a stripper, money 4 hand back 4 ground lady and expect to av decent daughters. U cant marry a womaniser, drinker or a wife beater n expect to av a morally brought up sons. U cant give what u dont av.The male children wld look up to their fathers while female children wld look up to their mothers as their 1st role model. So u or ur partner wld 70% determine who ur children will grow up to be.

@cutehector what's wrong With a 9year older using a phone. As long as the parents put restriction applications inside the phone to restrict the kid from entering certainly ungodly sites.looking at it this way what of if she has to visit educational sites to do assignments given to her in school or what if she has to communicate with her friends in school via bbm or whatsapp.ok that aside what if she gets to school and she sees her mates using phone but her own mummy didn't buy phone for her like other kids don't you think she'll feel bad or you think it's only adults that's have feelings.kids don't feel bad to

That you didn't use phone when you we're 9 because of one reason or the other doesn't mean your kids shouldn't. We should make life more easier for these children.this is 21st century for crying out loud.once it's a certain time you tell them to read their books at the same time monitor what they say and do on phone

My brother na soo we see am oh

SAMBARRY:
@cutehector what's wrong With a 9year older using a phone. As long as the parents put restriction applications inside the phone to restrict the kid from entering certainly ungodly sites.looking at it this way what of if she has to visit educational sites to do assignments given to her in school or what if she has to communicate with her friends in school via bbm or whatsapp.ok that aside what if she gets to school and she sees her mates using phone but her own mummy didn't buy phone for her like other kids don't you think she'll feel bad or you think it's only adults that's have feelings.kids don't feel bad to

That you didn't use phone when you we're 9 because of one reason or the other doesn't mean your kids shouldn't. We should make life more easier for these children.this is 21st century for crying out loud.once it's a certain time you tell them to read their books at the same time monitor what they say and do on phone

restrictions? In a samsung galaxy phone? U must be joking! When all she does is to use it to play games and browse the internet... Yeah its the 21st century, why not get ur kids a data enabled phone at 5years of age.

Cutehector:
restrictions? In a samsung galaxy phone? U must be joking! When all she does is to use it to play games and browse the internet... Yeah its the 21st century, why not get ur kids a data enabled phone at 5years of age.

then you buy the type of phone that's can browse at the same time put restriction applications for children. Your children cannot be wiser than you. As for the game you delete everything

Cutehector:
restrictions? In a samsung galaxy phone? U must be joking! When all she does is to use it to play games and browse the internet... Yeah its the 21st century, why not get ur kids a data enabled phone at 5years of age.

good reply as expected. Parent shd also stop d attitude of my frd brought her 9yrs old child a phone/my child's frd use this or that, i too i will get one 4 mine. B4 u buy things 4 children, u need to ask urself sum question like, Does she need it? 4 what purpose?
Does the advantages of the child having it, outweight the disadvantages?

SAMBARRY:
@cutehector what's wrong With a 9year older using a phone. As long as the parents put restriction applications inside the phone to restrict the kid from entering certainly ungodly sites.looking at it this way what of if she has to visit educational sites to do assignments given to her in school or what if she has to communicate with her friends in school via bbm or whatsapp.ok that aside what if she gets to school and she sees her mates using phone but her own mummy didn't buy phone for her like other kids don't you think she'll feel bad or you think it's only adults that's have feelings.kids don't feel bad to

That you didn't use phone when you we're 9 because of one reason or the other doesn't mean your kids shouldn't. We should make life more easier for these children.this is 21st century for crying out loud.once it's a certain time you tell them to read their books at the same time monitor what they say and do on phone

I don't mean to insult you though but you are one of the things that is wrong with parenting even if you are not a parent yet. Just because you can afford the luxury doesnt mean the kids should have all the things all the time. There should be restriction, appropriate restrictions.

By the way I hope this makes front page given how enlightening this is, you can imagine the sort of crap that makes front page these days.

Your opinion and you're entitled to it.i will buy phone for my daughter when i feel the need arises for her to use phone before paedophiles start luring her with phone. We live in a dangerous generation already

FlySly05:



I don't mean to insult you though but you are one of the things that is wrong with parenting even if you are not a parent yet. Just because you can afford the luxury doesnt mean the kids should have all the things all the time. There should be restriction, appropriate restrictions.

By the way I hope this makes front page given how enlightening this is, you can imagine the sort of crap that makes front page these days.