There
is a lot of controversy about the generation gap between parents and children.
Do you agree that the older party must try to adapt with the young ones or vice
versa?
A Chinese
proverb said, “If you want happiness for a lifetime, help the next generation”.
Yet to help the next generation is by narrowing the generation gap. According
to the Oxford Dictionary, generation gap is a difference in attitudes between
people of different generation. A generation gap occurs when older and younger
people do not understand each other because of their difference in opinion,
experience and nature. In order to
reduce generation gap, one party either the elder or the youth must be held
accountable. In this situation, the elders seem to be the one who should adapt
with the young one because they have more experience in life, have the power in
ruling their children’s life as well as they can pass on priceless lessons and
the children can learn from the past mistakes.
As the elders
have more experience in life, they ought to be more understanding. They have
been young and understand how the young feels whereas the young have never been
old. Parents must have the idea on how to approach children in the way of
entertainment, fashion, behaviour and so on. This does not mean that parents
have to do or be interested in something that is exactly the same with their
children. It is enough to be more understanding in the way they follow the flow
of latest trend, not just giving the black and white order to arrange and
manage their life. If the children consider their parents as a good listener
and advisor, they will surely tolerate with their parents’ thoughts and views.
Apart from that,
in any condition elders are often given power to rule or manage their children.
This is because elders are more knowledgeable
and can be rational in making decision. They will know how to manipulate
the youth to accept their opinions. This privilege is something that will play
important role to help elders to reduce generation gap. For example, parents of
course have the right to order their children as they wish, but still they must
have the strategy to ensure that the children follow their way of life without
putting pressure on them. At the same time, trying to consider the children’s
desire. Thus the children will not take it as a life domination but as parents’
love and that will prevent them from making their parents as their enemy.
The longer the
person lives, the more mistakes they will commit and the more lessons they will
learn. For those who are older, they have the priceless lessons to pass on to
the youth, to let the youth learn from their earlier oversight so that they will
not repeat the same mistakes. It is why elders should try to adapt with the
young one. Taking parents again as an example, they can guide their children in
order to prevent them from being totally influenced by bad culture such as in
music, clothing and food because it will give bad effect to individual and also
the future generation.
As the
conclusion, the generation gap is not a novel problem as it also happened among
the past generation. It occurs when the older and the young individual
contradict each other in their attitude. The fact is this problem can’t be controlled
if both of them can’t tolerate to each other. Thus, it is a best decision for
the elders to be creative in adapting themselves with the young people
otherwise the gap will become worst and there will be lack of respectful
towards each other. Do you think that you can live in a community with the
children who are dare to summon their own parents just because the parents have
thrown their Michael Jackson’s CDs?
