No childhood, no reminiscence
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No childhood, no reminiscence

We have to be rational and take care of our children as visionary parents without turning to be their fate writers

Post by on Sunday, November 14, 2021

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 CHILDREN'S DAY

 

Parents are proactively thoughtful about the education of their children in the contemporary age of science, intellectualism and competition. Every option is pondered over to ensure the best quality education but no one is ready to objectively assess the capacities and inner self of a child and admit the facts. Because, for most of the parents, child is not more than a blank canvas with no being of its own and having nothing innate to express. It is believed to be perceived to brush and paint him or her with different thematic perspectives of best learning figures and highest educational graphs amidst unfriendly examination, now not less than a ghost, and pulling down heavy bags which, they think, would assure him/her to be at the level first in future.

Snatching childhood naughty activities from them is much lovable oppression. They are like bonded labourers being engaged by their parents with no sense of accountability. We are producing a tired generation with pride.

Actually, we are full of envy of society and are at revenge with it to become that through our children what most of us could not ensure to become through our own beings. Admittedly, we have lost the techniques of remaining content which is being translated into an unnoticed abuse of child rights being committed by their own parents thinking only about competition and so called call of the time with a sense like impunity. These are the same parents who write the eulogies, sad poetries and heart breaking documentaries over the children being crushed, killed and cramped in different war and conflict zones of the world. That is quite manifest and wished to be instantly stopped by all human hearted beings. But, the atrocities unconsciously but habitually being faced by the children en-masse quite unnatural to their childhood in the free family environment attract no voice to raise. Otherwise, both are victims and in case of latter as well, it is equally painful because here the oppressors are unbelievably the parents. Expectedly, some may raise their eyebrows but in the heart of their hearts, I am sure, they won't differ much in opinion if we go against the capacities and interests of a child.

We as adults and elders, being the last generation in the context, have the rich treasure of childhood reminiscences to enjoy whenever we turn to be nostalgic in the post-childhood life. Everyone has an unwritten childhood novel with him with thrilling plots, beautiful scenes and meaningful backgrounds and uncountable and memorable characters from school, neighborhood, relatives, play fields, streams, rivers, lanes, nearby fields. We were enjoying the mornings and evenings with nature and forcibly dragged to home at evening because all the sources of entertainment were freely available in an open environment.

I simply wonder what the children of present screen-age would yearn for in their older days which, I believe, should be a sweet company in the mob of socio-psychogical pressures, stresses and anxieties during those harder days. Because they have no outdoor free world of play mates, peers and neighbourhood, hence shall have nothing to laugh, cry or miss in the virtually solitude days.  And, their older days would be tougher than what we experience because of growing sense of individualism. They are indeed forced to live the life the way adults seriously do.

Only the memories of strictly enforced formal schooling,  homework and attending tuitions under hard task parents especially mothers with different brands of laptops and mobiles in hand loaded with games,  puzzles and distracting apps shall never fill the vacuum potentially to be there in more harsher days of the extreme conditions and loneliness to come.

Moreover, we, apprehensively, keep holding the finger of a child till he/she enters adulthood, thus, blocking him/her to understand the society and encounter with multiple experiences which undoubtedly need a certain amount of independence for self learning beyond the world of gadgets. This would prepare him/her to face the challenges of life. Very unfortunately this part as an essential qualification to have been imparted to the children has no place in the current atmosphere of rat-race. Life is not always smooth. Sometimes, it takes rough forms and we have to think over whether our children with only degrees and certificates can walk over it without learning the actual life skills. There is much more to be learnt apart from being professionals and technical hands. Learning to fight challenges is the actual security we ought to provide with our children. We want to see them getting prestigious employment only. And we see, they turn to be fragile and a little hardship brings tremors in their life and they fell to their kneels. If they are groomed up with strong life skills, their life will be easy in all odd and ordeal situations.

I am never against the modern way of imparting education and extra care. Intellectual development and ascending to achieve excellence in academics is beyond debate. But, I am also worried about the lost childhood of the children and their future hollowness in terms of the events that would reacquaint them with their family, society and most significantly with their former self.

When things go beyond wisdom, nature intervenes and implements its order ruthlessly. We have watched the human and economic losses caused by the pandemic and we also feel the pain. But, apart from other tough interventions to set the things right, it has also taught us that if we don't take care of the childhood of our children, nature turns to be harsher to disturb all the formalities to give them a free time in abundance beyond imagination. We have to be rational and take care of our children as visionary parents without turning to be their fate writers.

(Author works in Education Dept and is a Regular Contributor to RK. He can be reached at: reyazmir58@gmail.com)