IT IS AMAZING how we expect tuh see something different coming from children – or the young people, fuh dat matter – when what we giving dem tuh watch is something totally different from what we telling dem tuh do. Ya see the double standards?
Now we crying down the young people all the time when duh doan get on the way we want dem tuh, but we forget how we does get on in front o’ dem when the public cahn see. We forget what we say ’bout people, right in front o’ dem or hard enough fuh dem tuh hear but when we get in front o’ the same people dat we tear down home, it does be a different story altogether. We forget even the things we tell dem tuh do, dat we know ain’t right but because duh small and we got influence ovah dem, duh does do it.
We forget how deceitful, conniving and spiteful we women could get together wid our families and be, against the children fathers, and dem same children does be watching, listening and learning from all o’ dat. We forget how we does allow we children tuh walk in the house wid a pencil case, a bag, a cellphone a anything dat we aint give dem and doan question dem or doan send it back.
It does sound real good when ya hear people getting up and talking bout getting back tuh the old family values but forget dat the very place you doan take dem is where the family values started – in the church.
We forget dat we doan hold we children or grandchildren hands and carry dem tuh church; we does send dem, ’cause we doan go we’self. We forget dat dem good ole days called fuh a lot o’ sacrifices and we forget dat we ain’t sacrificing nutten, we want it all. We forget dat whatevah we do, the next generation gine take it and carry it tuh another level and then put duh own spin pon it too.
We forget dat children doan learn nothing from being told – they learn from what duh see mommy, daddy, granny, uncle and auntie doing and saying and when duh get old enough tuh break out on their own, dat is exactly what they do. Duh do as duh like and all you doing is playing you asking foolish questions like how duh get so.
We expect we children tuh grow up and come along like saints, in this nice perfect world, among decent and upright adults just the way we would like dem tuh be. But on the other hand, duh got big hard- back old men running down lil girls and enticing dem wid money all the time. And then duh got another set o’ sick-head men, old, young and middle age, trying tuh interfere and seduce li’l young boys. And the children watching and we expect dem tuh be any better.
Example
The adults ain’t setting nuh kinda example at all tuh the younger generation and the same adults talking ’bout getting back tuh the days when children used tuh respect adults or people in authority but how duh gine do it when dem does sit down in duh houses and watch these big well educated folk doing the dog whenevah duh broadcasting the Budget speeches or the so-called debates from Parliament. Instead of it being a debate, it does be a big bassa-bassa, a cuss-out, a tear-ing down, a hollering out, a getting on bad and even a walking out sometimes. No kinda example whatsoevah and the children watching and listening.
Wunna doan know how tuh conduct wunna selves in public office and wunna ain’t got nuh kinda respect fuh one another but talking ’bout values and morals and principles. Well, I tell ya! Talk ’bout spitting up in the air and letting it drop back down in ya face?
We adults gotta clean up we acts first and then the children gine or might fall in line. The song says, children live what they learn and children learn what they live. It is so true.
• Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.