"I Don't Care..."

“I don’t care about my future”, were the words spoken to me by a thirteen year old yesterday evening. This child was not suicidal, therefore I do not believe it was meant in that manner. It was simply a statement or rather, several statements to that effect during a passing conversation. In my experience, when you ask a child what they want to be when they grow up, they either give you a few options, a definite conclusion or they think about it and say they do not know.

The sad reality is that this young teen is not alone in holding that opinion. There are so many young people out there who cannot see any good in their future due to their previous or current circumstance. It seems there is a gap in society which children from different cities, cultures and background are falling into.

So what can we do about it? Well for a start, there are several organisations, including mentoring organisations like Joined Up Thinking, that can help and encourage children to see and believe that they have a great future ahead. However, the most crucial support to a child should come from family. ‘Home’ is where the biggest encouragement and empowerment of a child should come from. The child's first encourager, supporter, teacher, cook, provider, entertainer, instructor, disciplinarian and example should come from the home. So let’s pay greater attention to the next generation for which we are responsible.

If you are a parent and are struggling with your child(ren) in any way, please do not be afraid to ask for help. You can contact us confidentially and we can support or signpost you to the appropriate organisation.

Enjoy your day.