Whenever I attend school meetings of my 4.6 yrs kid, Daksh. I feel a kind of depression. The way parents interact and talk with teachers, I find myself pretty confused. Every time, I feel that, are the kids going to appear in their board exams? Parents are so worried about completing the course, revisions, writing practices that I wonder, what is all this? They have just 4 years of their age. For the past few years, I am experiencing that parents around me are so much worried about the future of their kids that they are spoiling their kid’s present.
- One of the kid’s parents got him to repeat his nursery class for one year, just to prove that his foundation should be strong and he should know more than the rest of his classmates.
- One parent told the teacher that you can beat him, I won’t tell you anything, but make him study.
- One parent said that there is so much about the competition, I don’t want my kid to stay back.
- My cousin’s daughter is just 10 and she is running between all the important tuition. A very particular life, just 20 minutess of rest, no play, only tuition and homework. When I ask her what is this? I get a reply, CBSE board, you don’t know. How can I know? I was a topper with no tuition, only tuition I remember me is dad coming to pick me up at school and asking on the way, what you learn and showing everything on road happening, reasoning and building my logic.
- Activities are one more dearth. Parents feel a kind of satisfaction that our kids are into so many activities, but what is his aptitude? Is he enjoying or learning? It is going to end up like “Jack of all and Master of none”.
For me personally, age of 4 is so tender to force them for anything. They should know basics of life, that’s it. But seeing other parents, I get very much confused, if I am right. I somewhere find fault with our education system. But I just wish to highlight a few points, which makes me an easy mom.
- 1. Remember your own childhood
Childhood is a phase of life, when you are just free. You can dance, play and do whatever you wish to. You are not involved in regular chores of life and no responsibilities. Enjoy the natural ringing laughter of your kids because it’s never going to return back after a certain age. They too will be involved in all life tantrums so why to bury their childhood in the burden of life.
- 2. Only one can be a topper
When we talk about a topper, top word itself says one person at the top. So naturally only one will be on top. All kids cannot have aptitude in one field. Is it good to always remind of Sachin Tendulkar?
- 3. Concentrate on skill development
Whenever I am driving my car, he asks me many questions on driving, car and many other things. I try to explain him in a very childish manner, but totally technical. Teach them to look around, how a cobbler is mending a shoe or how a fisherman is catching fish. Practical knowledge and how to put your education into implementation will only let them survive. Seeing the zest of the parents tomorrow is the time, we will find all doctors, engineers and scientists, but perhaps zero smile on the faces.
Finally, I would just like to say, let them live. It is their own life. Being their parents, we are there to love them, support and nurture them. It is not that we have the authority of their lives to make it, how we wish to.
It is not that the kids are losing their childhood, but even parents are missing their parenthood in the midst of making your kid, a superhero. We always long for our childhood days, they are having that best time of their life. Let them blossom and nurture them with lots of love and care.