Was having a casual conversation with my mum today over dinner She related how my cousin seems to be failing in things that he is doing; having spent a vast sum of money and not achieving anything in life.

My aunt has so totally spoilt him since young that he has not learnt to be able to stand on his own feet. Drowning a kid in excessive love killed the future. I have not seen this cousin since my younger days. I had always remembered him to be someone seemingly sensible. My mum was telling me that has not changed in him. But after hearing most of the stories, I disagreed. How could a responsible person allow for the squandering of his parent's wealth? How can a sensible person changed his ambitions umpteen times, without giving a thought to the cost of change? Sense and sensibility seems to have totally devoided him. Unfortunately, my aunt have been encouraging him by giving her last cents to allow for his blatant wallowing in the satisfaction of change. I could not comprehend how life how meaning to him.

It appears that the parents will have to take a large portion of blame for the turn out of a child. In the name of undividing love, my aunt has single-handedly misled his son into thinking that there is nothing wrong in failing and not learning from the mistakes. Perhaps it is difficult to strike a balance between strictness and stickiness to morality, and leniency in the name of love. Parenthood is a daunting task only meant for the wise and brave.

There are truths in old adages: Spare the rod and spoil the child.