The good and bad qualities that are in the generation of parents doesn`t automatically pass on to the next generation. It depends on the way we nurture good behaviour in our children, that matters. Sometimes we fail sometimes we succeed, Allah`s help is necessary.
Age is no obstacle
Just because we didn`t get a fully islamic upbringing, doesn`t mean we can`t do that for our next generation. It depends on what values we have in us right now. We might have come to Islam as adults, but people who are far more elder than us has completed a lot more tasks for Islam. They didn`t let that stop them. We want the best for our generations of children. Just because we didn`t pray that much when we were younger, if we have come back to Islam, we would want the best for the next generation and wan`t to instill in them these qualities as early as possible.
Just because my father smoked cigarettes
Just because your father smoked cigarettes doesn`t automatically mean that you will also fall into the same. If your father did smoke and his health is deteriorating because of it, he wouldn`t want the same to happen to his son. So when he gives you guidance to prevent you from doing it, it is because he knows what it does to you. Often people who have had a un-islamic lifestyle and Allah guides them to Islam, are the best people to give naseeha, because they know how it is to grow up in the “hood”. We can`t throw back comments to them that you yourself didn`t manage to prevent yourself from it, so why should we. You should rather listen to the wisdom they have gained from quitting it. They know the inside story, you might not. Listen to them with an open heart.
If every generations had to start from scratch
People increase in experience by making mistakes. When we have learned from the mistakes that gave us some experience we would like to instill those values in our children from an early age so that they don`t fall into the same traps as we did. If every generation had to invent cars every time they need a vehicle, just because they want to do everything on their own, we might not have had any planes now. If every generation use the experience the generations before has gathered, we will develop that into something better as time passes. Every generation doesn`t have to start from scratch. We can try to build our life on others experience so that we can prosper and succeed as time passes. May Allah help us. Ameen
Roshnii179 