Childhood suicide: A selfish act

Some children nowadays -- even as young as five, as I've read in a recent edition of The Jakarta Post -- are inconsiderate enough to take their own lives without even thinking about how selfish their actions are or the consequences their parents are going to face as a result of their committing this terrible mistake.

True, part of the reason why children are driven to even think about suicide is because of a lack of attention from their parents. This obviously causes children's minds to become even more frazzled, and they start to think that their parents no longer love them, or perhaps their parents are too busy to even give them a second glance, leading in the end to depression.

Hence, when the child faces a problem at school, he or she will feel that there is nowhere to run, or that there is no one he or she can turn to. This will affect the child both mentally and physically, and when his or her depression reaches a profound depth, the child may opt to take the easiest way out -- by taking his or her own life.

It is a fact that when a couple are expecting a child, both prospective parents should seriously consider the huge amount of responsibility that they will have to take on. They need to be aware of the likely needs of their child and try to satisfy them. But parents are still human beings. What I mean to say is that parents still have their own needs that have yet to be fulfilled. Hence, is it selfish to ask for a little time alone?

I agree that some parents focus too much on their own lives and sometimes neglect their children. But, have you ever thought that your parents are working hard because they believe that you can take care of yourself? Or that more often than not they are doing it for you?

Most children these days only think about themselves, and they believe that it is within their prerogative to demand boundless attention from their parents.

I am not going to deny the fact that, yes, parents these days (especially those who are anxious for success in their careers), do not give sufficient attention to their kids, but we, as kids, should try to understand the situation our parents are in. Parents are just human beings. No one in this world is perfect, and everyone has his or her own failings.

Think about it, before you decide to grab a knife from the kitchen or hang a rope from the ceiling!

STEFFI JAUW Jakarta