It seems like becoming a parent in these modern times is akin to emptying your wallets, and not to mention, your bank accounts for the endless needs of your offspring, isn’t it? Financial matters aside, (which by the way, is an exaggeration just to capture your attention), the true price of modern parenting today seems to be higher than one can imagine, for it has far more to do than just finances. Read on…
Parenting today has taken such a sharp turn from the past, whereby almost everything has gone electronic and there is an oversupply of gadgets that have taken the place of manual actions. There is also an app for everything, and at times it leaves us wondering if one day, a couple could just download a baby! While things seem to be much easier, and not to mention convenient for everyone today, these modern developments are leaving deep impacts on the lives of our children, and we may not even be realising it.
A severe lack of nutrition
All parents yearn to provide their kids with the best, and this includes their daily meals, at home as well as at school. It may not seem like much of an issue here, for there is an abundant supply of food available for all today, with varying price tags on them too. In this aspect, unfortunately, no matter what your financial status is, you may still fall short in providing your child with the nutrition that he or she deserves, especially if you are not adequately informed about the kind of food your growing child needs to sustain optimum development and growth, or if you just don’t take these things seriously.
A child living in these modern times could be well fed’ and yet end up malnourished. Let’s take, for instance, a mom who is packing her school-going child’s lunch – she makes him a sandwich with his favourite white bread, layers it with some tasty canned food product and loads of mayonnaise as it’s his favourite, and leaves out the addition of tomatoes or lettuce or any other green as her son loathes them. Then she proceeds to pack a store-bought muffin as a snack, and while she’s at it, she also includes a pack of his favourite store-bought fruit juice as well. It can be said that while the mom means well, none of her choices can really offer any true nutritional benefit for her child.
Children need a whole lot of vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, as well as prebiotic and probiotic foods. These are mostly found in fresh whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, whole grains, dairy, pulses, beans, etc. The above mentioned mom could have made a much better choice for her son if wholegrain bread was used instead of white. The filling of the sandwich would have been more nutritious if she had prepared it herself from scratch: e.i roasted chicken or beef, instead of a canned version that has loads of chemical preservatives that give it long shelf life. She should have tried mincing up some greens and mixing it together with the mayonnaise for added nutritional value. For junior’s snack, his mom would have had top scores if she baked some muffins herself, using good quality, healthier ingredients. The same goes for the juice, for she would have been better off blending some fruits into a smoothie, to keep a naturally sweet and fiber-rich drink. These may not seem like a big deal, but in the long run, if parents do not take some initiative to improve the nutritional intake of their children, and be consistent in doing so, it’s their kids who will pay the price at some point of their lives.
Childhood obesity is on the rise
Aah, this is another big one: According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the prevalence of childhood obesity has increased at an alarming rate globally and just a few years ago, the number of overweight children under the age of five was estimated to be over 41 million. It could very well be higher now! WHO also warned that children who are obese have a much higher chance of premature death and disability in adulthood. Being overweight and obese places children at a higher risk of developing non-communicable diseases too, such as diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
UM, Specialist Centre (UMSC) paediatric endocrinology senior consultant Associate Prof Dr Muhammad Yazid Jalaludin said last year that the rapid rise in obesity among Malaysian children is cause for concern because overweight children are at a higher risk of becoming obese adults.
Who is to blame for all of this? We can’t say that parents are solely responsible, for when we look at the consequences, getting their kids to eat well and exercise isn’t as easy as it sounds. For those who can hardly make ends meet, the cheaper the food, the better it is for their budget, and we can’t blame them. But, the cheaper the food is, the higher the chance that it’s high in saturated fat, sugar and other additives that harm a growing child’s body.
A growing child also needs lots of exercises and fresh air to be healthy and fit but how many parents can actually ensure that their kids get adequate physical activity as well as enough outdoor time? Working parents may even find it an impossible feat, what with the overtime hours they need to put in to ensure enough income to pay their bills, buy their groceries, pay for petrol, etc. As hopeless as it may sound, where there is a will, there is always a way, especially for the sake of our children. In terms of food intake, refer to our advice above under the subhead A Severe Lack of Nutrition. Additionally, it will benefit your family greatly if you rethink your entire food plan and try shopping for fresh foods at wholesale markets where they can be cheaper compared to supermarkets. Even small changes, a day at a time, can be impactful for your child’s health.
As for the exercise and fresh air, this is where parents will have to really sit down and think up ways to implement them into their family’s life – even if it’s a weekly thing. Take your family out to public parks instead of malls, choose a picnic outdoors instead of a family lunch at a fast-food outlet. These and more changes will eventually show positive results in your child’s wellbeing, depending on how diligent you are in implementing them into your family’s life.
Social aptness and behavioral issues
It’s all too easy to fall into the trap of letting a gadget keep junior busy as we get about our household chores, shopping, or even eat a meal in peace. Most times, as much as we initially tell ourselves that we are not going to be like other moms and leave our child (literally) to their own devices, tiredness overcomes us and we cave in. And, there’s where your child’s addiction to the screen slowly creeps in without you even realizing it. Before you know it, your little one will be more likely to favour spending time with your phone or tablet than playing with kids his age at gatherings, family dinners or even at the playground!
Children need to play, explore and be active with other kids their age to develop well. They need to learn to socialise too so that they will have a better time at school, where social awkwardness can turn problematic. They will have to make new friends and get along well and exposed to situations where they can take part in activities, on a regular basis, instead of being hooked on their electronic devices all day long. Not to mention too, that Myopia is on the rise among young children – no prizes for guessing what’s the biggest culprit!
On a different side of the matter, bringing up a child today also takes grit and courage. Why? Because no matter how well we protect them from whatever we deem as non-acceptable in terms of conduct, food choices, clothing choices, etc, there is a high chance that school may undo some or all of them by means of peer pressure, especially. So, does this mean that we just give up and leave it to fate? Let’s not, alright?
Perhaps what you really need to look into as early as possible, is establishing an ongoing (as well as easy-going) close tie with your offspring. Treat them as you would a best friend who has their own opinions and ideas. You wouldn’t force a friend into doing something they don’t want to, would you? In fact, you can’t, or you might lose their friendship! Similarly, children who are brought up in households where they are constantly being reprimanded and punished may also eventually feel controlled and unappreciated. Try instead to establish good communication with your child, and talk to him or her in a respectful, gentle voice, no matter what the situation is. Try sneaking in stories of similar situations of what you and your child are going through, while convincingly adding in the consequences of not paying heed to one’s parents, the pitfalls, the hidden traps, etc. You are their parent – you’ll surely find ways inside you to carefully turn any situation in your favour without having to use force – remember, true friends will not use force. With patience, empathy as well as natural parenting instincts, nothing should come in your way of good results. The key is to do something and not just leave things be.
There you have it – the true price of modern parenting. We hope you will take into consideration all of the aforementioned points and try to make a change in your current parenting techniques. That is if changes are called for!
