A bad company a child keeps does have an impact and influence on the choices he or she makes in life. “If you choose bad companions, no one will believe that you are anything but bad yourself.”― Aesop, Aesop’s Fables. However, if you choose good companions, no one will also believe that you are anything but good yourself.
A story of a rich man who has a son.
A rich man has only one son. The son developed many bad habits. Very soon, the man noticed that the son fell into a bad company. The man was much worried about the habits of the son. He did his best to mend the habits but did not succeed.
The boy was always saying all his friends were good and from disciplined homes except one who the parents were not happy with and that he had promised to change. One day the man thought of a plan to teach the son a lesson.
He went to the market and purchased some fresh apples and a rotten one. He came back home and called his son. He asked the son to put all the apples in the basket.
The son did as he was told. After some days, the father asked the son to bring the apples. As he opened the door of the room where the apples were kept, he was surprised to note that all the apples were rotten. He felt sad.
The father told him to see how one rotten apple had spoiled the res, in the same way, one bad companion could spoil all others. The father’s advice had the desired effect. The boy gave up a bad company and became good.
LESSON TO THE CHILD: Be careful of friends you keep
Child protection in the heart of EU
LESSON TO PARENTS: Practical parenting often yields the best result.
In the story above, it is clear that the father did the right thing in guiding his son by connecting him with what he knows for easy results. The father didn’t result in the punishment which most of the time yield little or no result. This is an example of what the Child Rights Law specifies as the responsibility of the parents or guardians.
It says, ” Every child has the right to freedom of association and peaceful assembly in conformity with the law and in accordance with the necessary guidance and directions of the child’s parents or guardians.
