BASSETERRE, St. Kitts - PASTOR Donna Peets is encouraging parents to invest in their children and, while doing so, be on the alert for child predators.
She made this call to parents while delivering the featured at address at the recently held Kuddles Nursery Graduation Ceremony.
Peets, who is also a Guidance Counsellor, warned the parents in attendance that their children are their inheritance and would only carry on what they are taught.
"Invest in your children...these children will be your legacy. They will carry on after you, and whatever you put into them that is what they will carry on. I hear people say all the time that you can just look at children, look at how they behave, look at how they carry on and you can tell a lot about their parents.
"Take the time to teach them to have manners, teach them to be respectful and all of these things," she said.
Making reference to the Holy Bible, Peets said it states that it is better for someone to die than for a child to be hurt.
"To be honest, many times these children, innocent as they are, they get offended; meaning that there are predators out there that are watching the little children as well. I recently went to a workshop and it was all about child abuse and, according to what they were saying, there are different areas of abuse.
"We know that there is physical abuse where parents sometimes beat children in a way that they should not," she said.
Peets explained that despite the children's innocence, some are preyed upon by paedophiles. She said that there was also the topic of sexual abuse, noting it is something that is very rampant in our nation.
"Many of our children are being abused in that way; meaning that they are being touched in places they should not be touched," she warned parents.
Peets then disclosed her personal experience, noting that it was a person she knew and who was close to her parents.
"Because I was a sensible child, I knew to run and get out of there," she said.
She pleaded with parents not leave their children with just anyone, even though they may be a family member, because they too could be a predator.
"Many children go through sexual abuse and, as parents, I want to commission you to be watchful over your children. I hear people say, 'Gorlin say trust no cloud.' They say, 'Every shadow is a man'."
"Not because they are uncle, not because they are cousin, not because they are neighbour, not because they are friend, not because they are stepfather, I want to tell you keep and eye on your children."
The Guidance Counsellor then explained that even little boys are also being targeted by paedophiles, and they should also be under the close watch of their parents.
"It is not only the girls! There was a time we had to be so concerned about the girls, but I want to tell you even the boys are vulnerable. And it seems like now-a-days the boys seem to be an even greater target. Don't send them to everybody's house, don't send them everywhere, keep them in your homes as much as possible."
Touching on the other forms of abuse, Peets said there are also emotional and mental abuse, whereby parents constantly tell their children how worthless they are, and this could cause long term damage to them and should be avoided at all cost.
With regards to neglect, Peets said: "Sometimes we are doing things and we don't realise we are hurting our children. Neglect means that as a parent I am not providing what I should, I am not paying attention to them, I am not spending time with them. And with that area of abuse, I am just reminding you as parents to make sure your children don't have to go through those things."
"What you put in, many times, is what you will get out," Peets advised.
