A GENERATION OF BUSY CHILDREN.

In the early days of the 21st century, my youngest brother had just entered Primary School. He was our Baby and watching him begin the rigors of the academic system burdened my heart. Of course I wanted him to learn, but the demands placed on him was too heavy for a little child.

This was in the early days of this century, my brother's stress concerned me greatly, little did I know that the century was ushering in a generation of young children with  schedules ....... very tight schedules.

An average child's day begins around 5:30am when they are yanked up from sleep to take their bath. From the bathroom they are quickly dressed and are made to down their breakfast. All these happen between the 5:30 and 7am and must be done in time so they do not miss the school bus on their route.

Their day begins and is so jam - packed with activities to the very 'brim'. Yes, part of the activities involves a break period but we all know how frustrating a time - bound fun activity can be. Time has a way of fleeing even before the fun kicks in.

After regular school hours, most children go for extra - mural classes after which they still have homework waiting for them, homework that should be submitted by the next day.

By the time they return home, they are left weary and tired with little time left for them to enjoy their childhood. I did not insert house work and domestic obligations in the typical day narrated above. Sure most children are not exempted from helping out in the house and I am advocating that they should be.

For children in big cities like Lagos and Abuja, they follow their parents out in the wee hours of the morning and return late at night.

For the children that have it rough, they are expected to earn a living. Some combine it with education and the most unfortunate ones hustle all day. Some help their parents out in a stand, some sell at hold-ups and some others walk very vast distances hawking their wares.

They are not even allowed breathing space during the holidays. We are in the long holidays now, but most parents have already engaged their children in various activities.

We thrust our children into the system too early and too deeply, leaving them little time to be children. This leaves them no time to grow emotions, understand emotions and control emotions. No time to develop and enjoy human relationships. They begin too early to follow order and are not allowed to think and develop common sense. They begin too early to be concerned about deadlines, competitions and be stressed out.

And we wonder why we have more deviance in children of today as against former generation of children, who would not get tired of following orders if you have been ordered for too long.

My generation was not burdened this much and today that we are adults, we are not doing (too) badly. I fear how this over - stressed children will turn out when they become adults tomorrow.