kodomo

was jus chatting with hubby on the way back from Mustafa yesterday night. was jus telling him about my indignance about how some babies are neglected and abused.

It's not just the extreme types of violence that show up in the papers, but it's those subtle day-to-day actions that affect the baby, such as:

- loudly blaming them for things they shouldn't do (I mean, how will babies know that they did wrong? It's plainly the adults venting their anger on the poor babies)

- smacking them unnecessarily (again, babies are never in the wrong, its the adults venting their anger)

- frightening them with loud noises (accidentally or on purpose, especially when older and naughtier kids are around)

- failing to care for their cleanliness e.g. not checking if they have poo-ed and leaving the baby in his/ her poo for half a day

- failing to care for their health e.g. allowing air-con to blow at them when they just came out from shower

- allowing them to breathe in second-hand smoke

basically, babies do not know how to take care of themselves, they are fully reliant on us adults. I myself am guilty of venting my anger on my girl at times, by shouting at her. and yes i feel so lousy as a parent after that.

I met a toddler last friday during cg and this toddler looked very frightened and timid thru out the whole time. when she was being put down on the bed, she sat there and dared not move. when i signaled to her to want to carry her, her face started to crumple. gave her toys, face crumple. whatever thing i did, her face crumpled.

i wonder to myself, what exactly happened that made the toddler behave this way? Was she being mistreated before that e.g. someone spanked her for being nosy and now this bad memory is so stuck in her head that she doesnt dare to move anyhow?

It's really hard to believe that this kind of behavior is inborn. It must be the environment, isn't it?

She's such a chubby cute toddler, why is the environment so harsh to her?

~

I told hubby, when he earns enuff to support the family, i will go and work in infant-care centres.