February 17, 2003

Wealth and poverty threaten childhood
___By John Hall
___Texas Baptist Communications
___SALADO--The computer is on the fritz, the television is not compatible with the DVD player, the cell phone keeps ringing, a credit card payment is overdue, and the second trip to Europe is in jeopardy.
___This is today's "childhood" for many affluent families, according to Tommy Sanders, director of childhood ministry publishing at Lifeway Christian Resources.
___The lives of these American children are driven by a need to get the "right stuff," Sanders said, noting that kids' rooms have become microcosms of a house, complete with computers, televisions, telephones and refrigerators.
___At the same time, the number of college freshmen who list "becoming very well-off financially" as their No. 1 goal has increased substantially, he said at the

"Childhood is no longer a preparation for adulthood. Children are trained to handle adult responsibilities."

Preschool/Children's Leadership Retreat sponsored by the Baptist General Convention of Texas.
___The quest for more possessions has turned childhood into "quasi-adulthood," Sanders said.
___This message is driven home to children as young as 2 through educational videos and intensive marketing, he warned.
___On the other end of the spectrum, vast numbers of Texas children are threatened not by wealth but by poverty, noted Jim Young, director of the BGCT Center for Community Ministries.
___In 2000, Texas ranked as the 48th best state to raise a child, down from 25th in 1995. One in four children in Texas lives in poverty, and 1.4 million Texas children are uninsured.
___Many are growing up with little parental guidance as one parent is not present at all and the other has to work but can't find or afford child care. Texas has only one accredited child-care center for every 2,637 children.
___"In every area of care and support for children, Texas ranks at or near the bottom," Young said.
___Today's children are forced to make adult choices, Sanders said.
___"Childhood is no longer a preparation for adulthood," he said. "Children are trained to handle adult responsibilities. Children are doing today what adolescents did yesterday."
___Churches should be proactive in their actions toward children, teaching them how to make solid Christian choices in the early years of childhood, Sanders said.
___In some ways, churches have added to the problem as church activities divide the family for many hours a week, Sanders added. He urged churches to be more holistic in their approach with children.
___Congregations also should supply positive adult role models and peer influences for children and their families, Sanders said.
___

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