Children can be a handful but they don’t deserve to be mistreated. Every time I read about cases of child abuse, physical, sexual, mental and whatever other form of abuse, I wish there was a test to screen out potential bad parents because some people clearly aren’t cut out for this role.

You can’t bring a child into this world and then turn around and hurt them. It’s different when a Stepmother or relative mistreats the children, which is wrong too but when a mother or father attacks their own child, it’s egregious.

Reading about this California couple who’ve been torturing and starving their 13 children for years, I was dumbfounded.

First of all, why have all of 13 children? I mean I’m not here to lecture people on how many kids they should have but is it really crucial to have that many children in this day and age? I feel like the reason some people fail at parenting is because of the stress involved.

Children are expensive and a lifelong responsibility. Unless you’re finances are in order, raising one, let alone 13 children is bound to be challenging with endless medical bills, school, feeding and clothing them all.

If you’re going to have a certain number of children, be ready to put in the work to provide for them. Every time I run into street kids, I immediately wonder what their parents are up to.

Of course some are orphans but there’re also many young children forced to fend for themselves either because they were abandoned or their parents don’t offer any better and no child deserves that.

Ideally, we should strive to give our kids better opportunities than what we ourselves had.

Don’t let your children endure the same struggles you did if you can help it. Didn’t have a proper education? Work even harder to make sure your kids aren’t robbed of the same. Went to bed hungry many times?

Don’t let your children experience the same. That’s the only way to break the cycle. There’re also parents who aren’t struggling financially but would rather buy that Sports car than spend it on their kids or make sure they have a safe place to stay. If you don’t take care of your children, who do you expect to do your job for you?

Back to the abusive parents, I cannot imagine being chained and starved for years by my own parents. In my opinion, good parenting is an investment.

Treat your kids well and they will return the favour long after you retire. Every time I remember the sacrifices my Mum made just to raise me, I’m reminded that I have to pay back. It’s not even an obligation.

I just know that I have to be there for her the same way she has been for me. But if all I remember are years of abuse and neglect, I’m not going to care at all where or how she spends her final years. Wish every parent remembered that!