Kidscorner

Thursday 8 September 2011

We are responsible for children

Photo Kim Anderson
I had a very busy week. Worked far too much but had some really good moments. I  enjoyed today the laughing of some children. I love kids. I think kids are hard work but nothing gives me more pleasure. They are honest and straight forward, an open book, flexible, keen to learn, innocent and fun loving. I have the experience that they all want to succeed and to be good. When it doesn't seem like that there is usaully a good reason for it.
So when I found this poem I hope you take it in. And think about it, if you change the life of a child by giving them your real attention, you not only help them you help their future children and all surrounding people. Children are wiser than you think. . They should be valued a lot more than they are at the moment. That doesn't mean giving in to them. No they want you to set limits to give them clarity.  No it means to respect them, care about them and listen to them and they wil respect you. After all we are responsible for children!


Photo Kim Anderson

We are responsible for children
By Ina Hughus

We are responsible for children
Who put chocolate fingers everywhere,
Who like to be tickled,
Who stomp in puddles and ruin their pants,
Who sneak popsicles before supper,
Who erase holes in math workbooks,
Who can never find their shoes.


But we are also responsible for those
Who stare at photographers from behind broken windows,
Who can't bound down the street in a new pair of sneakers,
Who never "counted potatoes,"
Who are born in places where we wouldn't be caught dead,
Who never go to the circus,
Who live in an x-rated world.

We are also responsible for children
Who bring us sticky kisses and fistfuls of dandelions,
Who sleep with the dog and bury goldfish,
Who hug us in a hurry and forget their lunch money,
Who cover themselves with Band-Aids and sing off key,
Who squeeze toothpaste all over the sink,
Who slurp their soup.

But we are also responsible for those
Who never get dessert,
Who have no safe blanket to drag behind them,
Who watch their parents watch them suffer,
Who can't find any bread to steal,
Who don't have any rooms to clean up,
Whose pictures won't be on anybody's dresser,
Whose monsters are real.


We are also responsible for children
Who spend all their allowance before Tuesday,
Who throw tantrums in the grocery store and pick at their food,
Who like ghost stories,
Who shove dirty clothes under the bed and never rinse the tub,
Who get visits from the tooth fairy,
Who don't like tob e kissed in front of the carpool,
Who squirm in church and scream in the phone,
Whose tears we sometimes laugh at and
Whose smiles can make us cry.


We are responsible for those
Whose nightmares come in the daytime,
Who will eat anything,
Who have never seen a dentist,
Who aren't spoiled by anybody,
Who go to bed hungry and cry themselves to sleep,
Who live and move, but have no being.

We are responsible for children
Who want to be carried and for those who must,
For those we never give up on
And for those who don't get a second chance,
For those we smother...
And for those who will grab the hand of anybody kind enough to offer it.
I was bad this week but I will visit you all in the coming days. Arohanui marja

12 comments:

  1. So glad you shared this fantastic poem by Ina Hughus. Without sounding maudlin she managed to show through verbal pictures how children in all circumstances need attention and that some monsters are, indeed, all too real.

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  2. Great poem, and I really liked the pictures.

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  3. Very good, Marja. Thank you too for your wise comment.

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  4. Ah, that's very nice!

    And I LOVE what you said about children in your opening paragraph!

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  5. Thanks for leaving a comment at sixtyfivewhatnow. Any friend of children is worth knowing.

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  6. This poem made me smile and made me cry. Wow! Thanks for posting it. Hope you have a restful weekend :)

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  7. Children do give us an amazing amount of pleasure. I have learnt so much from Joseph over the last five years. He has kept the child in me alive and healthy and I have encouraged him to be kind to all creatures and also told him he is loved unconditionally.

    Excellent post Marja, such wise words.
    Big heart hugs
    Peggy xxxxx

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  8. Simply awesome and inspiring, Marja! I raised five and although there are times I always wonder if what I did was wise I did know that I was, ultimately, responsible for them and their well being. I love this and the photos are the best. This is a photographer I admire.

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  9. You have a beautiful site here Marja.. and love this post.. yes we should indeed look after our children... They need our love and our guidance..

    Thank you for leaving me your comment upon my poem.. I have left you a reply..
    nice to meet you Marja..And I hope this allows me to leave this comment as Im experiencing probs here on Blogger account.. Dreamwalker..

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Thank you!!