Once upon a happy time

I belong to a generation that is today referred to as the Facebook/Twitter/Youtube generation; the ‘jet age’ by some others. A generation that grew up during what has been referred to as the “acronym years,” the years when our dear country Nigeria took the spiraling turns that has left her almost a pariah nation today.

It does sound like we had the ill-luck of growing up in a gloomy period. Perhaps so, but no matter how hard I try, nothing can take away the fact that we had the very happiest of childhoods and memories of it today – each time we cramp them up into text messages or posts that go viral on social media- reminds us of a time once cherished, a peace so desirable, an experience every child deserves. An experience that now seems lost.

Yes, it was the time when the television (usually NTA) began at 4.00pm with the national anthem. It was the time of Captain Planet, of Super Ted and of Voltron.

Fond nostalgic memories no doubt but above all these, one factor that was responsible for the happiness we enjoyed as children was the fact that back them we still had family. We still had parents who had time for us. Parents who asked us about our assignments and helped us get our notes right. Parents that sang us to sleep, read us bed time stories and shared our childhood fantasies.  Back then, we still ate meals together as a family. We still watched television together as a family.

But our parents could also be hard on us with the way they spelt out instructions and punished malfeasance. Going to school and coming top of the pack was our job. We had had better excel. There was no option to discipline. And even though we always got spanked for wrong doing, we never ceased to feel the love of our parents in huge measure. That made our childhood different.

Those simple, but deep experiences of our childhood are who we are and have contributed in shaping the course of our lives today. Truth is, not all of us share the same happy memories and it is not so difficult to tell when we encounter such people. Child psychologists state that children with unhappy childhoods are more likely to grow up into anti-social adults, violent partners and persons with imbalanced emotions. It therefore goes without saying that not only does every child deserve a happy childhood, we all share the responsibility of giving this to them.

Today, pause and access yourself, are you contributing in any way to taking away any child’s happiness? Are your daily activities directly or indirectly robbing any child of happiness? Are you too busy chasing money and career that you have forgotten that your children need more than DSTV and the Internet to be truly happy? Do you abuse or molest any child? Do you take advantage of children put in your care? Do you divert funds meant for child care projects? Do you know people who do and you keep quiet?

The disturbing fact is that the happiness that swelled the childhood experience of my generation is conspicuously lacking today. The Nigerian child of today endures the challenges of a family system gone awry, a society that is eager to exploit a child and a government whose care doesn’t seem to go beyond electioneering campaign slogans.  I fear therefore that we are raising a generation that is as much a threat to itself as it is to us. The evidence already abound. The world certainly cannot survive their enormity.

Every child deserves to be happy and we are called upon to be vanguards of this call today.

This post is part of a series inspired by the Prevent Abuse of Children Today (PACT) campaign, hosted by Stepping Stones Nigeria.  Please add your name to the PACT petition to prevent abuse of innocent children in the Niger Delta and visit the site to find out more on the website.