Being a parent and having a family is a beautiful thing. However, it comes with responsibilities. Responsibilities that should not be neglected.
In my opinion, neglect of responsibility means that a parent refuses or fails to do the things they are supposed to do for their child. Parents have an obligation towards their children. Parents are supposed to provide for the kids, teach them morals, teach them what is right and wrong, and teach them respect. When a parent fails to fulfill these obligations, that is neglect.
When children are born, their first contact is with their parents. Their minds are young and new and needs to be moulded the right way. These kids learn from what they see and are told. They learn a lot from their parents. Most of the time, they even try to copy their parents. This is why parents have to be intentional and purposeful about what they say to their kids or what they do around them.
Parents also have a responsibility to protect their children. It is their responsibility to protect the kids from harm—from hearing unsafe things or seeing unsafe acts. When parents neglect their responsibility towards their child, it is almost always detrimental to the child.
I haven't been neglected, but I have seen someone who was neglected. His parents were barely present in his life. As a result, he had no respect for people. He lacked morals. He had a lot of bad company and made the wrong friends. His parents abandoned their responsibilities to him, and he went down a downward spiral.
The effect of parents neglecting their responsibility to their kids is that they go down a bad path, not knowing what the right things are or not making the right decisions. Kids need their parents to set them on the right path and be there for them. When all that is missing, it becomes a problem.
My advice is that they should stop now and prioritize their children. They have to focus on their children and carry out their responsibilities; otherwise, there is a tendency for the children to become a nuisance, not just to themselves but to society as well, as they grow. From the moment a child is born, the parents have responsibilities to that child, and they are obligated to carry out those responsibilities to the best of their ability.
My advice to the kids who are neglected is that they are in total control of their lives. They have to choose to be a better person. They have to decide and make the conscious decision to choose right over wrong.
It is unfortunate that they were neglected by their parents, but that doesn't define them. It's never easy when your parents neglect you; most times, it leaves a heavy toll. But they have to overcome and emerge as the best version of themselves.
Neglect is a serious issue when it comes to parenting. Some parents neglect their children without even knowing it. Most times, they get so busy with work that they don't even pay attention to their kids. It is really crucial that parents make their children their priority and give them the very best care, attention, and love.
I am inviting @radleking and @dave-hanny to participate.