Every parent wants their child to grow up honest, hardworking, respectful and responsible. From an early age, children are taught to tell the truth, respect others, earn what they have and never take what does not belong to them. No parent deliberately teaches a child to cheat, steal, deceive or exploit others. Yet, as these children grow into adults, many begin practising precisely the things they were taught to avoid.
If parents teach their children to be honest and upright, why do so many of those children grow up practising dishonesty and wrongdoing as adults?
Society is full of people who know the difference between right and wrong but choose convenience over conscience. Those who condemn corruption but readily offer or accept bribes when it serves their interests. Those who demand fairness but practise favouritism. Many speak about integrity in public while compromising it in private.
It is easy to blame changing times, peer pressure or the influence of society. But perhaps the greater problem lies in the gap between what we teach and what we practise. Children do not learn only from instructions; they learn by observation. They watch how adults treat others, how they respond when faced with difficult choices and whether their actions match their words. A child taught not to lie may grow up watching adults lie their way out of trouble. A child taught fairness may see favouritism rewarded. Such contradictions can become lessons of their own.
This does not absolve individuals of personal responsibility. Growing up means developing the ability to distinguish right from wrong and making choices accordingly. One cannot forever blame upbringing or circumstances for one’s conduct.
Perhaps the question is not simply whose fault it is, but whether we have become the very examples we once warned our children against.
If we want a society guided by honesty, fairness and responsibility, we must first practise these values ourselves. Children may forget many of our instructions, but they are unlikely to forget the examples we set.