The global community yesterday commemorated International Day of Families.
The International Day of Families established in 1993 by the United Nations aimed at promoting awareness on issues faced by families across the global and further highlight the important roles that families play in communities and society at large
Families are the centre of society provide a stable and supporting home for people of all ages. This they do by upholding and reinforcing core moral and social values necessary to nurture individuals to become useful citizens capable of contributing in building a progressive society. Unfortunately, over the years, many families are no longer living up to these important responsibilities, following near collapse of the values and bond that regulate intra and inter-relationship within families and between families.
In some cases, collective family interest is subverted because of individual aspiration and desire, while sometimes there is outright manipulation by some family members for self advantage, which gradually eroded the structure and framework on which family roles function effectively. The sad consequences are steady increase in collapsed marriages and broken homes as affirmed by large volume of records in the welfare department of local government councils, on sick marriages and divorce cases in the various customary courts.
Again, unbridled quest for material wealth has completely distracted some parents from their primary roles in the family as they spend little or no time with their children, condemning them to the disposition of house helps, who, in some cases, are in dire need of care and attention themselves. With lack of parental care and control, these children fall easy prey to physical and psychological abuse as they are exposed to social influences that negatively impact on their behavioural pattern.
Families as primary unit of socialization, are expected, among other things to give children adequate training and equip them properly for their future responsibilities which should include sound moral and ethical orientation that will inculcate in them the zeal to appreciate dignity of labour and hard work as well as the pride and satisfaction of self actualization.
Again, the present threat of extinction of Igbo language from communication world is a pointer of failure of families to live up to expectation of protecting cultural identity of their children. It is common practice in many families in Igbo land to first teach a child a foreign language before he could even understand the rudiments of his mother tongue.
Similarly, the increasing number of beggars on our roads and streets is an indication of the weakness of family ties. Before now in Igbo land for example, the extended family system protected under-privileged family members from the harrowing effects of economic difficulties and did not encourage them to go beyond family compound for assistance.
Time has come to promote once again the cherished values that make family a special and indispensible social unit. Adult members of families should understand that exemplary conduct is the most effective way to inculcate positive behavioural principles in children. Parents who include alcoholic drinks as part of family daily menu should not be surprised if some of their children spend more time in bars and other drinking centres.
Most importantly, families should cultivate the habit of praying together at least twice every day because a family that prays together remains together.
