Born with Eyes Wide Open
In the midst of the Armenian Genocide lived a young man named Juan Kouyoundjian. He saw his home burn to the ground, witnessed the murder of each and every brother and sister, and failed to stop his mother from taking her life in the Araks river. This young man was forced to flee thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean to start a new life in Argentina by himself. This young man was only eleven years old. Stories like this are not uncommon. Wherever tragedy and struggles are found, one will also find an absence of childhood among children. Throughout history, hardships such as neglect, poverty, and war have caused the rapid maturation among countless children, thus creating more societal problems. Neglect does …show more content…
It can be the mere absence of a parent when a child gets home from school. In any of its forms, neglect will provoke a child to take on responsibilities otherwise meant for adults, thus taking away the time to play, explore new things, and meet new friends. In today’s society, the majority of household do not have a stay-at-home parent. Because of this, children do not have somebody to help them with their homework, make them dinner, or even tuck them in at night. “‘We should give childhood back to our children,’ proclaims David Elkind, a Tufts University psychologist who argues that what’s basically the matter with kids today is that they are being turned into adults far too quickly” (Jennes 1). Most people seem to think that the problem of early maturation among children is only a new occurrence, however children across the world and throughout time have experienced this problem. Author of numerous social issues, Audrey Rieger, writes about how the absence of childhood is not a recent dilemma. Parents in the past who were …show more content…
“One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is, I think, to have a happy childhood” (Christie). Children have always been pushed to grow up quickly and leave their childhood behind, however society does not realize the unintended consequences that come with this. Children must have the chance to be childish and silly, otherwise, life will always seem
In the midst of the Armenian Genocide lived a young man named Juan Kouyoundjian. He saw his home burn to the ground, witnessed the murder of each and every brother and sister, and failed to stop his mother from taking her life in the Araks river. This young man was forced to flee thousands of miles across the Atlantic Ocean to start a new life in Argentina by himself. This young man was only eleven years old. Stories like this are not uncommon. Wherever tragedy and struggles are found, one will also find an absence of childhood among children. Throughout history, hardships such as neglect, poverty, and war have caused the rapid maturation among countless children, thus creating more societal problems. Neglect does …show more content…
It can be the mere absence of a parent when a child gets home from school. In any of its forms, neglect will provoke a child to take on responsibilities otherwise meant for adults, thus taking away the time to play, explore new things, and meet new friends. In today’s society, the majority of household do not have a stay-at-home parent. Because of this, children do not have somebody to help them with their homework, make them dinner, or even tuck them in at night. “‘We should give childhood back to our children,’ proclaims David Elkind, a Tufts University psychologist who argues that what’s basically the matter with kids today is that they are being turned into adults far too quickly” (Jennes 1). Most people seem to think that the problem of early maturation among children is only a new occurrence, however children across the world and throughout time have experienced this problem. Author of numerous social issues, Audrey Rieger, writes about how the absence of childhood is not a recent dilemma. Parents in the past who were …show more content…
“One of the luckiest things that can happen to you in life is, I think, to have a happy childhood” (Christie). Children have always been pushed to grow up quickly and leave their childhood behind, however society does not realize the unintended consequences that come with this. Children must have the chance to be childish and silly, otherwise, life will always seem