Everyone definitely knows what exactly the word mature means. Being mature is very important, without which we are unaware of our responsibilities, the occurrence and the impact of our deeds, and many more, but there's a proper age for gaining it. Do you ever realize the time you bloomed? Significantly, I don't and I think many of you too don't. Similarly, those innocent children with a bucket of problems over their heads also don't remember or realize when they just got so thrived.
INTRODUCTION
That time begins when they start responding to the problems they see, they face which is present in their life or in the lives of their loved ones. This also begins when they take over the responsibilities of their own or someone's, which makes them to think over and over again for what they are doing or what they want to do. Initially, they feel lost, lonely, confused, impulsive and neglected because that's the age of making friends, having a happy family trips or focusing just on their self progress or education. They start feeling unlucky or dejected by everyone which is not at all handy to all the children. So here comes the matter of growing up. Children who have a strong power to face it and walk along try to cope up with that but the rest just give up by losing their lives or bearing the pains.
EXAMPLE
As an example, feel the pain of that unsophisticated child, the child with a lost memory, the one who is violated, the one with no financial support, the one who is orphan, the one facing the labour, the one with aggressive parents, the one with mental problems, also the one with health issues and many many more. These children hold the responsibilities in very tender age than you do.
EFFECTS
Since you ask them to grow up they will skip the stage of growing up. Their spring times of lives get fully blown up in every way like a balloon. The balloon which is newly formed, soars high and suddenly gets pricked by a pin, bursts up within a second with nothing left behind only just the seconds of beautiful memories. The pin that acts in a similar way in those wide-eyed children's life is Responsibilities.
1. Children become Parentified:
When children have to act like adults taking responsibility for their siblings, parents, and running a household there are lasting effects. Kids become parentified when their parents cant/wont fulfill their responsibilities. This often happens when a parent is addicted to drugs or alcohol or is seriously mentally ill. Even if the parent is physically present, they are incapable of parenting. They are often emotionally unpredictable, and lack even a basic understanding of child development. And they lack awareness of how their behaviour impacts their children and others.
2. Lack of financial support:
When a child runs in an competitive world, with much skills involved but has no financial as well as moral support, he/she has to take over certain decisions for their family and for own sake on thier own which may make them parentified in very young age. The child starts to neglect it's own necessity in order to look after others and feels that thier needs and feelings are not important anymore in order to prove their importance by showing perfection, being responsible, etc. They start getting disconnected from every known person and sometimes slowly incline towards mental issues.
3. Poverty:
This also gives rise to child labour, a large number of children look after for work which can provide them a source of living and hence they are hired in hazardous places like factories, construction sites, etc.
SUPPORT
It is necessary but not in the growing stage and one cannot stop it or delay it from coming because it's not in one's hand, it's natural and timely. But we can do something and here are some social and moral ways which have a least impact but can lend a little hand
1. Responsibility of society:
Everyone has to be that gardner who doesn't look after only the colourful flowers but looks after every flower that blooms in the garden, the gardner who knows every plant and enriches them with every requirement needed because he is aware that not every flower has a same colour or same fragrance.
Whether you are a neighbour, a relative, or nothing to an abused child still it's your duty to look after him/her, ask them, reach out your hands for them so that they can lower their grief on your chest.
2. Responsibility of a Parent:
Parents can do a lot and that is stopping that burden to arrive so soon and that is by not telling them to grow up. A parent has to be understandable and more alert that their child is not affected by their nature, they should spare some time from their routine and ask them, reach them for what they need. Whenever they try to help you out and act responsible so support them, talk to them and let them know that you value them because this might help them to reduce their stress, make them calm, and also it would help them to take proper decisions for themselves and the families.
3. Responsibility of every citizen:
Orphans must be adopted, loved, and looked after as their own child. Child with disability or health issues must be nourished not only by the medicines you provide them but nourish them with the love, with words that make them fulfill with what they don't have.
4. Responsibility of Government:
Article 24 of Child Labour Act, 1986 prohibits the employment of children in factories, etc. No child below the age of 14 years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment.
Under section 468 of the code of criminal procedure (CrPC), any offence, including child abuse, which can lead to a prison term of three years has to be reported within three years of the incident
Many of the people help and support the NGO's and so must we shall. Many of the children with no parental support can have your hand through the means of NGO and this would contribute happiness and satisfactory life to them
5. Various Social organization:
On behalf of the Child in distress the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA) operates a 24-hour Complaints Cell where complaints related to missing children, child labour, child trafficking and child abuse in any form can be lodged.
CONCLUSION
Every child deserves a better atmosphere and proper care because you chose them to be born they didn't, you wanted them to enrich all the beauty of love and affection and thenceforth they justify to be looked after rather than getting tormented in the age they are not meant to take over the liabilities you weighed down. Maturity is a high price to pay for growing up. So how can one expect an blooming child to pay such a price against his cheering days. So, let them be in thier diapers, don't let their awful days be gone. Don't ask them to ripe let them be raw for the days that they have to smile, because once they start ripening they will start to rot.
Sometimes shifting responsibility to pre-teens and teenagers can happen gradually. How much responsibility is right? You can consider your child’s maturity and experience, plus legality, level of risk and family values. Overtaking responsibility not every time acts negatively, there are many benefits of being responsible but in a proper way. The above mentioned are points with a view to look into the matters of mental health of a child and not blaming the way of parenting. I hope someday there would be no child begging for help on streets, none of them getting abused, neither mentally harassed nor debilitated.