Parenting isn’t just about raising kids, it’s about shaping the future: Lessons from a Fake Kidnap Drama

Let’s be honest: parenting these days is no walk in the park.

We’re all so caught up in life, work, bills, endless responsibilities, that it feels like we’re running a race we never signed up for. 

But what happens when the race causes us to lose sight of what truly matters "our kids"?

Take this real-life drama from Delta State, Nigeria. A 21-year-old girl, Princess, thought it was a great idea to conspire with her boyfriend, Prince, to fake her own kidnapping. Why? To squeeze ₦2 million from her parents. 

She planned to give the boyfriend ₦1.5 million and keep the remaining ₦500,000. When the police busted the scheme, the details were shocking but not entirely surprising.

This brings us to the big question: where are we going wrong as parents, and how can we fix this?

It’s no secret that many of us have outsourced parenting to nannies, caregivers, or even gadgets. But here’s the thing, no nanny or tablet can teach your child the values that define them.

Children learn honesty, compassion, and responsibility not from the words we say but the lives we lead and the time we spend with them.

Princess’s case screams of misplaced priorities. Was this just poor decision-making on her part, or did it stem from a gap in her upbringing? When kids feel they can fake a crime to get money, it points to a failure to instill proper values.

Let’s be clear, neglect doesn’t always look like abuse or abandonment. Sometimes it’s as subtle as being too busy for meaningful conversations. Here’s what happens when we’re too distracted:

1. Kids Crave Attention Elsewhere: When we don’t give them enough time, they turn to friends, social media, or worse, toxic relationships for validation.

2. Materialism Takes Over: Kids who don’t learn the value of hard work or patience often look for shortcuts, just like Princess and her boyfriend.

3. No Sense of Consequences: If we don’t teach accountability, kids grow up thinking they can manipulate situations without repercussions. Spoiler alert: life doesn’t work that way.

So, What Can We Do?

This isn’t a guilt trip, I promise. We’re all juggling a million things, but if we don’t make parenting a priority, someone else will and we may not like the results.

1. Spend Time, Not Money - It’s easy to believe expensive gifts make up for absence, but trust me, kids value your presence more than your presents. Play games, share meals, have honest conversations, those moments stick.

2. Teach Values, Not Just Rules - It’s not enough to tell kids what not to do; we need to explain why. Why is honesty important? Why does faking a kidnapping hurt everyone involved? Values are the compass that guide them when we’re not there.

3. Model the Behavior You Want - Kids are natural imitators. If they see us cutting corners or valuing material success over integrity, guess what? They’ll do the same.

4. Keep Communication Open - Make it easy for your kids to talk to you, even about mistakes. If Princess felt safe enough to ask her parents for help, would she have resorted to this scheme?

The Bigger Picture is that:

Parenting isn’t just about raising kids, it’s about shaping the future. Every lesson we teach or fail to teach today determines the kind of adults our children will become.

When we see stories like Princess’s, it’s not just a headline; it’s a wake-up call.

So, let’s do better. Let’s talk to our kids, guide them, and most importantly, be there for them. Because the truth is, good parenting isn’t perfect parenting,it’s intentional parenting.

What do you think? How can we navigate the challenges of raising kids in today’s world? Share your thoughts, I’d love to hear from you.