Parenting

I have always wondered if the Art of Parenting can be preached, practice or performed by any parents. After due diligence I have come to the conclusion that Yes! It is possible. But most of our parents are so much engaged in meeting the daily needs of the family that they forget the importance of parenting. This subject is close to my heart and so did I decide to pen down my thoughts.

Viktor Lozhkin and Yana Mikhailova were detained by the local police authorities for investigation purposes. Reason being not for charges of Murder, not for assaulting a women, not for peddling drugs, not for burglary, no no not even for theft. Then Why?
Viktor and Yana were detained on suspicion of neglecting their 5 year old child Natasha who was locked in a room with dogs and cats for several years causing her to behave like an animal. She laps her food, drinks with the tongue and walks on all four. So what big deal? It’s just one off incident which cannot be generalized Rajesh. If you think so, then we need to go back and check if it is really a one off incident.

• In December 2008, Lyokha was found in the forests of central Russia. He had been living with a dozen of wolves and has inculcated wolf-like behaviors and reactions.
• In 2007-08, Danielle Crockett was rescued from Florida. She was found locked in a room and deprived of human interaction for the first seven years of her life. She is currently undergoing human conditioning.
• In 2007, Amy was found in the mountains of Bulgaria where she had been raised by dogs. She doesn’t understand the native language and is not able to exhibit human emotions.
• And way back in 1920, eight year old kamala and 18 month old Amala were reportedly rescued from a wolf’s den in West Bengal.

Officially documented feral children’s numbers is almost 130 around the world out of which 27 cases have been reported in India since 1900’s. But the most alarming news is that the act of neglected parenting is unofficially at record high in urban India. It’s happening in our city, our street, our neighbourhood and our home. This is not an exaggeration.

Thanks to the rising standards of cost of living, double income families are at record high today, result being parents have little time to spend with their children. Children are sent to school at the age of 3. What do they teach the children in Pre.K.G? Nothing but children spend time playing with one another. Do you really have to go to school to play? Didn’t you and I play with our friends in our childhood days? Isn’t that possible at home sweet home? It is possible but parent’s feel that they cannot afford the time due to financial pressures at home.

Look at the Ideal child’s schedule. It goes like 9 AM to 4 PM at school, 4-6 Tuition classes, 6-8 will probably be a dance class or music class or some other classes. Parents encourage their children to take up extracurricular activities like never before. Wonderful, kudos to all the parents. But there is selfishness in this generosity shown towards children. Main objective is to engage their children with some task or the other until they get back home. This is a bitter truth.

Even before the school bus arrives parent’s company bus is at their doorstep. What an irony? Everyone in the family holds a duplicate key which facilitates them to come and go whenever they feel. To me greatest invention is Refrigerator & Microwave oven because it serves me left over dinner for breakfast and left over breakfast for lunch. I’m tired of eating re-heated food over and over again. I can’t imagine a life without Refrigerator and microwave oven.

I’m not accusing parents for what they do. I understand they do it to help their children live a better life than what you and I have today. But the ripple effect of discarded love will not serve the intended purpose. We all slog everyday as though we are not going to live tomorrow. We believe that money would bring in happiness at home. I think it is a greatest myth. Money would create an environment conducive for Happiness. But real happiness comes from spending quality time with your loved ones.

If these situations continue there will be a time in future when father, mother and children will be on a conference call to discuss the time to meet over for dinner. There will be a time when your children would respond with a bizarre look as you introduce your blood relations to them. Because the concept of nuclear family has broken the bridge of family interaction & closeness. This is not a hypothetical statement. This has already happened in western world and the day is not far away before it happens here.

I hope my thoughts would trigger your minds. I would be happy if even one among you realizes spending time with family is very important. Remember friends, you are a reason for your child’s existence in this world. Give them life by spending time with them because those few hours you spend playing with them, appreciating them for what they are, listening to whatever they have to say, can have a great impact in both you and your children’s life.