A Tale About The Kid, The Wolf and The Dark Forest

Remember the story about Little Red Riding Hood? She is on her way to visit her grandma who is ill, carrying a basket of muffins, traveling through the forest alone, and is then waylaid by the famous evil looking wolf. Take a minute and reminisce on that old bedtime story. I think I find in it a riddle, a subtle wisdom and a hidden mystery about parenting values in a decadent world.

First of all, little red hiding hood is sent off alone without a guide, unchaperoned nor escorted by an adult. Secondly, she is bearing gifts, a pleasant gesture, for the old sickly woman she is sent to visit and cater for. Thirdly, she must travel through this evil forest, again alone. Fourthly and lastly, her journey is interrupted by the evil-looking-no-good-intended wolf.

There are different variations to how the story ended but I will like to stick to the most popular ending. The wolf devours the grandmother and Little Red Riding Hood. Now lets look at these scenarios and treat them one after the other. How does this bedtime story relate to today’s aberrant parenting and decadent culture?

Children are left by themselves, to traverse the world they are born into without guidance, like Little Red Riding Hood was left to traverse the forest alone without an escort.  They are given responsibilities beyond them, like being sent to visit grandma with little or no caution. They are exposed to danger in an untamed world that is running an untamed schedule, left at the mercies of roaming beasts — wolves-in-sheep-clothing masquerading as gatekeepers and masters of destinies.

When in actual sense, they are dream killers, destiny mutilators, corrupted, brood of vipers. Their single goal is to break the bridge between today’s children and yesterday’s moral standards — ancient landmarks. The values handed us by our ancestors.
The wise counsel of our grandparents and spiritual forefathers — our precursors and fore-runners.

Those who will take off the shoulders of these misdirected children, the responsibility that supersedes them and in exchange give them wisdom and guidance that will accompany them through the rest of their journeys into their destinies. Guiding them with truth, hope and love.

Today parental guidance is not only absent, it is missing, misplaced and traded in for monumental goals, money, and misguided ideals such as self-empowerment. Our children are not only starved of motherly and fatherly nurture, they are laden with fending for themselves, daily fighting off wolves and beasts to the detriment of their souls. Worse of all they are cut off from guidance and from the voice of reason; the values that once kept us rooted, and firm in a turbulent world.

This is the state of parenting today; very reminiscent of the tale about Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf and the dark forest. If you are a parent and you’re reading this, time to do a reality check. First ask yourself: Where are my kids right now? In whose care did I leave them? A disgruntled nanny, ravenous TV, money mongering citizens masquerading as crèches? Where am I right now? To what degree is the routine of my life for the benefit of my child/children?

Should Little Red Riding Hood be alone on that journey to grandma’s? Shouldn’t she be escorted by her mum or dad or both? Taken by one hand to visit grandma, whilst bearing the basket of muffins on another. Grandma’s; a place for the transference of undiluted truth and godly wisdom.

Shouldn’t parents be guides to their children, shielding them from wolves and helping them make sense of the world, whilst connecting them with a source and a force that is greater than the force of the dark forest which has now become their world as well?

Deuteronomy 4:9
Only give heed to yourself and keep your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons.

Joel 1:3
Tell your sons about it, And let your sons tell their sons, And their sons the next generation.

Psalm 78:4
We will not conceal them from their children, But tell to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, And His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.

Hebrews 11:20
By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau, even regarding things to come.