17/12/2024
As a father, a believer, and a law-abiding citizen, I feel deeply compelled to address the challenges we face in raising and training teenage girls in today’s world.
The scripture is clear: "Train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old, they will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). It further emphasizes the importance of rebuking and correcting with love and warns us against "sparing the rod" (Proverbs 13:24). These principles were not meant to harm but to guide our children onto the right path, especially in this era where modern trends and social ills threaten their growth and values.
We live in times where harmful influences target our children—clothing that reveals too much, lifestyles that encourage moral decay, and "human rights" laws that sometimes limit a parent's ability to correct and discipline. Teenage girls are exposed to pressures to imitate adult behaviors, often through trends their mothers endorse or ignore. Some mothers, knowingly or unknowingly, allow their daughters to mimic styles and behaviors that attract negative attention from men.
We must not turn a blind eye to this reality. As fathers, we are called to lead, to protect, and to lovingly correct our daughters. A father's role is not only to provide but to guide and set boundaries. Mothers, you are equally responsible for shaping the identity of your daughters—teaching them to value modesty, dignity, and self-respect rather than following societal pressures that compromise their innocence.
Raising a girl child in this age is not an easy task, but with unity, accountability, and adherence to faith-based values, we can guide our daughters to be strong, virtuous, and confident women who positively influence their surroundings.
Let us not shy away from our role as parents. Let us discipline with love, rebuke with wisdom, and train with intention. The world may change, but truth and moral integrity must remain constant.
