Monday, November 22, 2010

For All Parents and Teachers

Let me begin with a thought I just had, "Aren't all parents, teachers too?!??" We may not have asked for that job but my experience as a parent has taught me that "being a teacher" comes with the turf!

I read a statistic on news site today and in my opinion, if there is one statistic worth worrying about, this may be it.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/in-2009-8-children-committed-suicide-every-day-67655?pfrom=India

I am thankful to the almighty that I got to live in times when children were free. Free to live out their childhood to the hilt! Some of us were good in sports, some in academics; some were born with the proverbial silver spoon in their mouth, some from rather humble families, some aspiring doctors, engineers and some like me....... with a new aspiration every week......

But despite such diversity, we had one thing in common; we all had a happy & carefree childhood.

Is it possible that in our quest for to ensure a brighter future for our children we may be unwittingly offloading our unrealized goals and aspirations on their shoulders?

Even if we are not, could we have allowed pressures of extreme competition to affect our children? Is it possible that we may not even know our kids any more? Do we talk to them? Or Do we “tell” them or may be “instruct” them?

Is it possible that the trials and tribulations of a free market economy may have made us overlook festering emotional sores in our young ones? Do our children talk to us or do seek the comfort of faceless digital networks?

Why does CBSE have a helpline for emotionally stressed students every year before and during the boards? Why did a student in class four tell me that she lacked confidence? Who told her that? Because when I asked her if she knew what the word “confidence” meant, she did not.

Why do kids in schools and colleges make a beeline to the “counselor’s” office at the drop of a hat? Why do schools and colleges need to hire “trained” psychologists to “take care of the children”? Weren’t we the parents and teachers supposed to that?

When did we outsource parenting?

Am I being paranoid, making a mountain out of a molehill? Or do we really need to look carefully at our parenting and teaching.