In day and age, violence is taking our cities by storm. Most of our newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and TV programs are plagued with different categories of violence. The cause of this violence is complex. There are no easy answers to end the malaise. I have one suggestion—going back to social basics. Traditional family values.
The nuclear family (father, mother and children) is the core of a community. This social tissue was badly battered when the industrial revolution became the preferred economic model in our capitalistic countries. It started in Great Britain and rapidly spread to cover the world. The children were left alone with a relative while their parents went to work in the factory in order to put food on the table. This was the beginning of the problem—children growing up without the supervision of their parents.
We are trying very hard to help “The Twisters” grow as healthy as possible. Their father works as a taxi driver and their mother works in a department store. The kids are taken care by their grandmother and grandfather who are now retired. During the weekends they center as a united family and spend quality time together. It’s not the perfect solution, but at least it’s better than doing nothing to help the kids grow in a split environment.
Karol is in first grade and Abdiel is in fourth grade. They are getting their elementary education and developing their analytical skills. We thought that a game of Backgammon, Checkers or Chess could be an appropriate conduit to promote traditional family values. We think that sharing time with the kids is a wonderful manner to concentrate and strengthen the family.
Two days ago we purchased a three game product to induce the Twisters’ parents to spend time with their children playing and developing their analytical skills at the same time. It worked. Yesterday Abdiel was elated to play chess with his father while Karol enjoyed herself playing checkers with her mother. It was a nice feeling watching the family sharing time together with their children. Perhaps we have a Bobby Fisher in the making.
Below are several pictures of chess pieces which I captured before turning over the game to The Twisters. Here we go.
Snapshot of chess pieces which we recently purchased for the enjoyment of The Twisters. Abdiel is a pretty good chess player. Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
Photo by ©Omar Upegui R.
It is important to keep in mind that the nuclear family is the fragile social tissue that keeps our societies together. Without integrated families we are headed towards social chaos with unpredictable results. Please, spend time with your children. Good Day.
Working parents don’t necessarily mean unsupervised children, but your points are well taken. It occurs to me that increased mobility and rising divorce rates (not to mention an unwillingness of many to care for their own parents as they age) has meant that the grandparents are often out of the picture, too. It’s going to take some work to change things.
Still, there are ways, and this surely is one. I have a photo of my dad and I playing chess when I was in high school.We kept it up for years, and it did help to form a bond.
Morning Linda:
I realize this is a thorny issue and the answers are certainly not around the corner. I’m worried at the sudden rise of divorces in Panama. Children are the innocent ones that suffer most as they are shuffled back and forth from one home to another like a ping pong ball.
Creating bonds within the family is one way out, at least from my perspective.
Have a great day in the beautiful state of Texas,
Omar.-