Last night, I watched one of my favourite movies “Sound of Music” again and was overwhelmed with nostalgia about my school, my friends, annual concerts, fêtes, and sports and about childhood in general. It made me think and it made think really hard of today’s kids and the world we are creating for them to embrace the future.
My childhood was really a happy one. My world comprised books of all kinds – study, stories, general knowledge and the like, school and its brilliant environment, friends and playtime, vacations and joys it brought forward with it and a plethora of activities it brought with it. Yet at that point of time, I just couldn’t wait to grow up.
Cut to today’s day and time. I see children – lots of them – friends, colleagues, acquaintances, relatives and their growing clan (may there be many more) rushing through their childhood… not wanting to grow up fast but option less nevertheless. These little ones are under tremendous parental, peer pressures and do not have the time to pause and smell the flowers, no time to catch the dragonfly, no time to be one’s ownself……
Are these futures pillars of the world to be blamed for their plight??? I don’t think so. Are we refusing our children a peek into the happiness of childhood thinking it’s a waste of time???? Thinking we ultimately did not benefit from it. I do not about the others but I DID benefit from it….. maybe not quantifiable in terms of monetary wealth & status in the society but certainly in terms of goodness, love, respect, learning to share, taking out time for somebody who needs me. That does not mean I will not do justice to all the commitments I have in my life. I am lucky to have friends with whom I have reunited after about a decade of hiatus and it certainly smells of bygone days of childhood and growing up years. Social networking sites brought us back into each others’ spheres but socially we all toiled to be back socially and personally…
I do not have a child….. do not know about the future too…. But if I ever have one, I’ll make sure that he or she learns to take out time and smell the flowers!!!!
My childhood was really a happy one. My world comprised books of all kinds – study, stories, general knowledge and the like, school and its brilliant environment, friends and playtime, vacations and joys it brought forward with it and a plethora of activities it brought with it. Yet at that point of time, I just couldn’t wait to grow up.
Cut to today’s day and time. I see children – lots of them – friends, colleagues, acquaintances, relatives and their growing clan (may there be many more) rushing through their childhood… not wanting to grow up fast but option less nevertheless. These little ones are under tremendous parental, peer pressures and do not have the time to pause and smell the flowers, no time to catch the dragonfly, no time to be one’s ownself……
Are these futures pillars of the world to be blamed for their plight??? I don’t think so. Are we refusing our children a peek into the happiness of childhood thinking it’s a waste of time???? Thinking we ultimately did not benefit from it. I do not about the others but I DID benefit from it….. maybe not quantifiable in terms of monetary wealth & status in the society but certainly in terms of goodness, love, respect, learning to share, taking out time for somebody who needs me. That does not mean I will not do justice to all the commitments I have in my life. I am lucky to have friends with whom I have reunited after about a decade of hiatus and it certainly smells of bygone days of childhood and growing up years. Social networking sites brought us back into each others’ spheres but socially we all toiled to be back socially and personally…
I do not have a child….. do not know about the future too…. But if I ever have one, I’ll make sure that he or she learns to take out time and smell the flowers!!!!
First of all, heartiest congrats in breaking the ice and entering this world! We have suddenly become bloggers. Regarding childhood, I think there is no point in comparing ours with theirs. There was no cable TV, mobile phone, computer, internet, iPod and the like then. We had so much to do. Things are different now with the latest technology and if parents don't keep the child abreast of the knowledge, they will lag behind. Of course that doesn't mean that kids don't have their share of fun. It all depends on how astutely the parents help the children balance the things. And for making a parent aware, I think your post was quite thought provoking! Good job! Way to go!
ReplyDeleteWell said Seema... i'm not against technological developemtn in a child's life... but worried about personal development and social development in them... technology is just a tool in our hands... aren't we all using it.... what we r not teaching our kids is the values of day to day life.....
ReplyDeleteWelcome aboard! It seems you've penned my thoughts! Very nicely written! Keep writing... will revisit! :)
ReplyDeleteWell written Nilanjana! Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteNice blog...I wonder what our parents were thinking when we were growing up..
ReplyDeleteBeautifully written ma'am..waiting to read more.
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ReplyDeleteGood job and well written about the childhood we had spent. i 2 partially agree with u that nowadays our children dont knw things like circus,fair, puppet shows etc but they r xperts in using electronic gagdets, cing cartoons etc. they are moving at a high pace
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