Toyin Abraham, the Nollywood actress, has revealed that she is not happy for this year’s Children’s Day.
Children’s Day is a commemorative date celebrated annually in Nigeria on May 27 in honour of children.
In a lengthy post via her Instagram page on Monday, the 43-year-old expressed displeasure over the “high rate of undisciplined behaviours exhibited by children these days.”
The film star also pointed out the need for better parenting in society, adding that the quality of upbringing for today’s children requires serious attention.
Toyin also referred to the recent incident involving some Ajayi Crowther University students who beat up their colleague to death over alleged phone theft as an example.
“I am not happy on this children’s day. Happy Children’s Day to all children and to parents who were once children. As we celebrate this day, it is essential to acknowledge the need for better parenting. Recent online encounters and observations compel me to share this heartfelt message with every parent and guardian,” she wrote.
“The quality of children we are raising today needs serious attention. We now have kids who see respect and courtesy as burdens. How do we feel reading some of the things the youth say to adults online under the guise of being ‘woke’ or adopting a “no tolerance” attitude? Many of us were not raised the way we are raising our kids today. We are raising them with kid gloves because we believe times have changed.
“However, different times are not an excuse to raise disrespectful children. Despite our age and blessings, there are still things we would not tell our parents, not out of fear, but out of respect. This children’s day should remind us to do better as parents and raise children who are respectful and kind. The recent tragic event at Ajayi Crowther University, where students killed a fellow student in the name of jungle justice, highlights the severe consequences of a lack of home training and moral values.
“Even if theft occurred, it does not justify taking another person’s life. Respect, courtesy, responsibility, kindness, and hard work are values we were raised with. Although we may not have liked the discipline at the time, we are grateful to our parents today for instilling these values in us. We have a nation-building responsibility to raise the next generation of quality individuals.
“Happy children’s day once again. May God keep our children for us, protect us from all forms of evil, and grant us a great celebration filled with wonderful experiences for the kids. My name is Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi. I was once a little child, and I am now entrusted with the responsibility of raising quality children for a better society and nation.”
