Children’s Day 2018 – Bal Diwas!
As the nation celebrates 53rd Children’s day on occasion of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s 129th Birth Anniversary, I would want to look at this day a little differently and bring out my views on what a parent can gift his child on Children’s Day.
Children’s Day in comparison to any other National Festivals like Independence Day & Republic Day is closer to Children in this country and even for the parents. These days we see that a child is given almost everything that is needed and not needed whether he is 8 years old or 10 years old or a 12 year old. He is never denied anything that a family can afford for him. You give everything, but have you ever tried to understand what your child really wants. Children below 12 years generally possess a very different mindset and are very emotional. They are auto moulded by whatever they observe and hear from others. Parents actions are keenly observed by children and the kids try to enact them in life. In doing so Child embraces the personality traits which can will either be good or bad based on the situations and the behavior of the parents.
The Major problem to me in the relationship of Parents and Kids in this 21st Century is the freedom that is given to the child. Maybe this is the not case with some well-educated families, but definitely, this is the case with the lower & middle-class families in this country. The point I am trying to make is, in India, parents compare their kids with other children from the time he joins pre-primary school till the time he goes to PG. Parents are after the ranks that a Kid of 6-7 years old can’t even understand. Parents force their Kids and ask them to perform well in the exams. Don’t they understand what a Kid of less than 10 years looks for? Does he wants Certificates and Ranks or Care & Love from Family? Does that certificate given by a school teacher so important or the love and care you show on the Kid is important.
Why are parents always behind the Kids and forcing them to study?
Why can’t the parents, instead of running behind the kids for marks allow them to decide what they want to do in life? Agreed that a 6-7-year-old doesn’t know anything and has to be taken care of, but not the Child of 12-13 years. When a child turns 13 years, that’s when he gets into his teens. That’s also where the factor of ‘Ego’ builds up a lot in an individual. Sadly, exactly at this moment, parents try to become so strict on their children and force their kids to concentrate completely on what they believe is right. In doing so, the child gets humiliated, irritated, frustrated, depressed and goes onto harm himself or do something very wrong. This is all because of the psychological impact that falls on the Child. The best gift that any parent can give the kid is to spend quality time with their kids, address their issue, solve them, guide them and show them all the possible life paths that one can choose to achieve success.
This I feel is the right gift that you can your child on a children’s day. Listen to them, understand and feel their dreams and turn them into Sportsmen, Astronauts, Singers, poets, painters, Actors, Scientists, Engineers, Doctors, lawyers, teachers etc; Don’t just expect them to be an Engineer or a Doctor. That’s the best gift a parent can give to his child.
Happy Children’s day!
