Thursday, March 28, 2024

MAVIS BECKLES – Raising kids ain’t easy

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You evah sat down and think about the amount o’ stress the children nowadays does put their parents under though? 
You evah stop tuh think ’bout the amount o’ tears some ah dem does make ya cry, and deh amount o’ times ya does have tuh talk and talk like some kinda politician? And what about deh amount o’ grey hairs they does cause you tuh grow out in a very short space o’ time? 
Ya evah think bout the amount o’ advice ya does have tuh ask ya friends for, and the counselling they does force you tuh seek in order tuh keep ya sanity?
You evah realise dat even though you as a parent does be freaking out ovah dem and the way they does want tuh dress in the tightest, shortest and skimpiest o’ clothes; they does want tuh be telling you dat nothing ain’t wrong wid it, this is the wear, and duh putting up all kinds o’ arguments.
Some o’ duh attitudes ain’t suh good either ya know. You does be denying ya’self something nice and killing out ya’self tuh make sure dat dem got, and despite all o’ dat, the foolishness ya does hear dem saying, the back chat, the ignorance dat does be coming outta duh mout, just because dem want duh own way, it does make you feel like denying dem – period.
Another thing is this, duh does be good children ya know, but sometimes the type o’ company dat duh does want tuh keep or associate wid does make you wonder who dem really is at all? 
Who raise dem? Who house dem grow up in? Who sent or carried dem tuh Sunday school? Who taught dem right from wrong and why dem cahn be sensible or wise enough tuh see the dangers dat you trying tuh protect dem from? Why dem cahn seem tuh understand dat what is good fuh Peter might not necessarily be good fuh Paul and furthermore, dog luck ain’t cat luck?
It look like you does be talking a foreign language when you telling dem certain things dat they doan want tuh hear ’cause duh does want tuh eat off ya head when you trying tuh tell dem dat you aint feel comfortable wid dem keeping company wid a particular girl or boy. 
You might even tell dem dat you aint really like how the individuals does move, or the way duh does get on, dat it ain’t becoming for a decent young person.     
My Lord, doan talk ’bout the way they does talk at all, it does sound like a whole new language. But you could freak out all you want, as a matter o’ fact, you does be getting on more like the freak than dem. You know how many times I does have tuh correct these young people round me? And the thing is, they would stop and say the correct thing and then as if dat just didn’t happen, they would be flowing again in the same school dialect. 
Look, a horse is now a “harse” and doan talk ’bout a baby being born, it wasn’t born, it was “barn”. 
Ting, I sick and tired correcting dem ’cause it like it ain’t making nuh kinda difference tuh dem; you know dat dem know better but dem does be still flowing and carrying on as duh like as if duh just daring and opposing you. 
All I does tell dem, is dat one o’ these days they might find demselves being interviewed for some achievement or the other, it might very well be pon television fuh evahbody tuh see and I know dat dat will be the time when they will want tuh speak properly but will find it hard tuh do.
The other thing dat some poor parents have tuh contend wid is the way duh children want tuh eat or not want tuh eat under these harsh economic times. After cutting and contriving, you barely manage tuh get a couple bags o’ groceries outta the supermarket; then tuh home day-after-day tarrying tuh cook and stretch the meals as best ya could and as healthy as possible; only fuh these very picky lil ungrateful rebels tuh playing dem picking over ya good food ya just sweat tuh get and prepare. 
Before you could say Jack Robinson ya does see dem scraping ya food in duh garbage can or outside tuh the dog.
If you did stupid enough tuh take the lil piece o’ change and buy fast food like some greasy chicken or pizza dat ain’t got in nuh kinda nutritional value, you would see how dem would grou-ma-dise it in a flash and look sharp, would embarrass ya by asking fuh more.
But dat suit dem kinda stupid parents so tuh leh children who doan wuk nuhwhere and who aint know nuh better, dictate how tuh spend their money. The problem is duh got too many choices and a lot o’ parents spoil dem, but fuh me, they would have tuh starve, you modern day parents need tuh stop keeping up appearances; do like the old people used tuh do; cook good food, put it there and if they doan eat it, put it up in the larder fuh the next day, just wait and see how fast they would eat um.  
Wunna parents gotta decide who is the child and who is the parent.
 
Mavis Beckles was born and raised in The Orleans. She has an opinion on everything.

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