There is an epidemic spreading through our country.

Young people are taking their own lives after examination failures, disciplinary action, broken relationships, workplace pressure and other setbacks.

Each death is a tragedy. Each grieving family deserves compassion, not accusation. Suicide is complex and mental health struggles are real. Those suffering from depression or suicidal thoughts need professional help, patient listening and immediate support.

But alongside mental healthcare, there is another conversation we must have.

Are we preparing our children to face disappointment?

Years ago, I knew a young man who wanted to become a radio officer. He attempted the licensing examination repeatedly and returned home each time with an explanation.

Someone had sneezed while he was receiving Morse code.

The invigilator had looked at him strangely.

The equipment was faulty.

The chair was uncomfortable.

His mother accepted every excuse.

“How dare they fail my son!” she would thunder.

Apparently, the entire examination system had conspired against one radio officer aspirant.

Everyone was responsible except the candidate.

He never passed.

Perhaps what he needed was not a mother who fought every imaginary enemy, but one who put an arm around him and said, “Son, I love you. Now practise harder.”

Love does not mean removing every obstacle from a child’s path. Sometimes love means teaching the child how to climb over it.

Today, when a youngster is corrected, parents confront the teacher. When a student is disciplined, they attack the school. When marks are poor, they blame the examiner. When a job interview fails, they blame favouritism.

The child receives a dangerous message.

You are never wrong. The world is always against you.

Then one day, the world refuses to apologise.

A relationship ends. An examination is failed. A boss criticises. A dream collapses.

The youngster, never taught that failure is painful but survivable, sees no road ahead.

We must stop confusing resilience with cruelty. Children need affection, but also boundaries. They need encouragement, but also honest correction. They must learn that losing is not dying, embarrassment is not extinction, and failure is not the final chapter.

Let us listen when they hurt. Let us seek professional help when warning signs appear. Let us never dismiss their pain.

But let us also prepare them before the storm arrives.

Do not merely fight their battles.

Teach them how to stand after being knocked down.

The greatest gift we can give our children is not a life without problems.

It is the strength to keep choosing life when problems come….!

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