Parents concoct a dream world for their children and imagine how their lives would turn out to be. They have a lot of
expectations and
aspirations for their children. Most of the expectations are social, moral and ethical which should be inculcated, undoubtedly. Needless to say, those parents obviously desire the best for their child. But sometimes, they attempt at living their unfulfilled life goals and dreams through their children, by constantly pushing them to achieve what they couldn’t.
Right from the time a child is born, the competition starts. He should start walking, talking as early as possible. He should win races, excel in academics, be a good speaker; be a shining star in everything he does, to frame in a nutshell. His classmate participates in 20 activities, so why can’t he do the same?
Every child has his/her
own capabilities and strengths. However, in today’s scenario, where competition has augmented our quest to be successful in nearly all the aspects of life, parents end up burdening their child with a heavy load of ambitions, which actually may not be the outcome of his own fabrication. The innocent is unaware of the unseen burden. Nowadays,
9-10 years old can be seen with this huge boulder on their shoulders, attending varied classes even after the normal school hours. With the changing times, our standard of living has surely enhanced, which means that the parents aim at providing everything and anything to their children. But does that mean, sending the tiny ones to numerous classes; be it
swimming,
dancing,
singing, so that they have their heads in almost every field?
Just because a first standard child is soft spoken, is it right to send him away for tuition or coaching to assist him in speaking fluently?
Every child develops at his own pace. Let them be! But then, they are parents. They want their child to have a secure future. A profession which provides them succor throughout their lives, a personality that facilitates them to move ahead, even if it is at the cost of pressurizing their life to such an extent that they feel stressed and over-burdened. What we learn in our childhood leaves an ineradicable impact on our lives. The more relaxed and happy our childhood is the more confident and optimistic we would become. Parents need to realize that although their ultimate goal is to ensure an assured future for their child, imposing their dreams on the young minds is not an option. It is crucial that the mind and cognition of the child develops. They need a nurturing and holistic environment, enabling them to try out new things, facilitating a channel of guidance between the child and the parents.
I, being a fortunate one, never found a situation wherein I was forced to get my hands into something which I didn’t like, was always provided with an environment aiding me to develop as per my own caliber. I realized, understood and embraced the things my parents stand for, eventually. It is imperative that the child is nurtured with open and active listening, thus setting the standard for communication. You see,
fear is the enemy of wisdom and turns knowledgeable individuals into fools. Faith is the only face setting us free to succeed on our own path of life. A happy childhood is all that is asked for. I suppose that not everybody reading this article is a parent, nevertheless, the message can be spread by anyone and everyone.
Written by Chhavi Minhas
“A free spirit, dreamer and admirer of this puzzle called life”
