Modern Age Childhood!

This post is a special dedication to the children, on children’s’ day. First of all, belated children’s day wishes to all the concerned.

** For Non Indian readers: 14th November is celebrated as children’s day in India. It’s the birth date of the Independent India’s first Prime Minister, Mr. Jawaharlal Nehru. He liked children very much and this day is a remembrance of his love towards them **

I happened to go by a school during its closure at the end of the day. The road in front of the school was jam packed with vehicles. Some of them were school busses and most of the rest were the cars/bikes of the parents who had been waiting to pick their children from school.

An interesting observation went through my mind while I was witnessing the whole scene being one among the souls out there.

Apart from some students who were probably at an age of around fourteen, of 10th standard, all others were rushing out of the school with energetic smiles as if they had been sent out on a beach to play with the golden glittering evening waves! The reason for the class ten students could be the exam pressure. Out of the kids, those who were supposed to travel by school bus were busy in searching for their route bus, and those who were supposed to be picked up by their parents were all set to reach their respective vehicles.

First time to my knowledge and surprise, there was a clear difference in the enthusiasm on their faces to travel back home. The bus travelers imaged themselves as if they still had some school-time left before reaching home. I was damn sure looking at their tenure that they were all fit with the idea of having fun with their mates in the bus on their way back from school. They knew they would be still enjoyed it despite the otherwise boring traffic jams. The kids to be taken by their parents, on the other hand, were showing low enthusiasm to sit in the cars or on the bikes of their fathers/mothers. Not that they were not having interest in going back but they were for sure appeared missing something that the children whose parents could not or did not afford their own two/four wheeler.

The reason why mentioned “did not” in the above last is as follows. In fact there could be multiple reasons for the same. Some parents might not be available to bring their children home as they were stuck with work or equivalent. Some might have calculated the economics of bus-traveling vs. the to-be-picked up by own vehicles. Some might have their neighbor’s kids who were elder then their own to accompany safely. Every reason has it’s own backup!

Well, I admire those, who could or could not have afforded it, but still did not with the thinking that they wanted their children to be the part of the enjoyment traveling with their friends. This is just one small example of what’s happening with the new age kids.

It’s the age of the kids, I mean the schooling, the sweetest and the most memorable, very few disagree with this and that too based on their own unique experiences.

** With all the revised syllabuses, upgraded discipline norms, students spending time with each other, connecting emotionally with each other, is next to impossible if I have to be frank.

** They would need a physical education hour a day which too bundle them up with the discipline for which most of the physical education trainers in schools are famous for.

** The upraising interest in parents to prepare their children to the extra-curricular activities such as painting, drawing, dancing, singing etc is doing it’s part in activating the brains of children and let them know that they can actually do more than just reading the syllabus. Its good sign that some schools are mandating some extra activities, reason might have been the commercial gain but nevertheless parents pay it and children are uplifted in spirits.

** Apart from all that children do together in school they need to spend some quality time outside the school as well with their friends or with more or less equal-aged. This is most important for the children of the metros, big cities compared to the children of small towns, who anyway connect together easily, as the scenario in cities is becoming tougher to do so day by day.

** They shall be exposed to all the varieties of ongoing cultural changes in the society, in the cities etc. They shall be sent out along with their friends on their picnics once in a while to roam around but only after making them aware of how careful they need to be. Parents shall also be not too much protective of their children.

** First of all parents shall be stronger to send the kids out. Some parents don’t even let the kids to fall down but they want the kids to learn running! How come! Kids catch illness easily, but some parents just can’t let any illness to occupy their kids with their over precaution measure. Kids need to be made aware how to fight it out instead. This really helps them.

** With the apartment raising across, for the children of metros its not easy to catch up with their schoolmates who probably stay in all different corners. That does not end the story. There shall be good communication maintained by parents/elders among the apartment residents, which in turn produce the same enthusiasm and culture in younger generation to follow.

Shutting the doors and sitting inside watching the high definition TV or making kids watch the cartoon channels with a separate wide inch TV in their rooms will only add up the remaining hurdles to their mental growth.

Outdoor games are equally important as that of the video games. This awareness was not there in the previous generation kids right from their birth. It was well incepted by their parents or society or for that matter the unavailability of video games was the main reason. These days with the higher availability of video games compared to the play grounds to play, there is no surprise that children confine themselves to the best possible varieties of the digital shows! This must be considered seriously. I appreciate the way the housing societies develop the parks around. If the outdoor games also could be promoted the same way, there will not be any dying need to approach jims both for children or elders.

The necessary resources need to be taken to the knowledge of kids and their needs shall be addressed not just with love but with also with a mere responsibility too. With the busy schedules of these days its not so possible to concentrate on these, but after all, being parents is also important amidst the pressures to bring up the today’s kids to the tomorrow’s citizens.