Let Tots Enjoy Their Infancy And Childhood It was cold and drizzling, on my way to office around 7 AM, today, I witnessed cruelty at it’s worse, an Indian mother cruelly pulling a staggering tiny tot, in uniform, who was half a sleep and crying at the top of his voice, it looked like he was being forced to do something that he didn’t have a clue to, I felt that at that age he should have been comfortably sleeping in the warmth and security of his bed, the kid must have hardly been three or three and a half years of age. This heartless act erupted an emotional volcano in me.
The educational stress on students today is enormous, we have seen how students are burdened to excel, along with their own expectation, the students are further pressurised by the expectations of their parents and sometimes by their sibling’s as well. Today the students are really struggling to cope up with all the expectations around them and sometimes succumb to it, leading to mental breakdowns and even suicides. I remember our days at school, we did not have any pressure from our parents, even though very few of them were educated, we were left to ourselves to cope up with our studies and we did just fine, there were no suicides, there were no mental breakdowns and we enjoyed our education, there were a lot among us who turned out to be good medical professionals, sportsmen, engineers and even scientists, so if all this can be achieved without putting any pressure on the students, then why are the kids of today become victims of educational stress ? Serious thought must be given to this aspect, no doubt the number of children have increased and so has the competition, but haven’t the number of professional institutions and the number of seats increased ? The facilities for overseas education has also increased and improved, so why do we tax our children so much ? It horrifies me, every time I come across small tots carrying bags that look bigger and heavier then themselves. It is enough tragedy that kids hardly completing age three, are pushed into Nurseries and then schools with lots of homework as an appendage, and then made to carry heavy loads on their backs, which could affect their very growth physically and mentally, kids today are deprived of freedom even in infancy, forget about childhood altogether. Reflecting on the above, there could be two causes, one, there could be something seriously wrong with our educational system, or two, the egos of the parents keep on getting bigger and bigger as they demand more and more from their kids, so that they don’t lag behind their colleagues, friends or even their own relatives. Sometimes it is the case of working parents, who have very little time for their tots, that no sooner they begin to walk, they are just dump into nursery schools, so that they don’t have to be guilty of not giving quality time to their little ones, this trend has become more of a fashion, when the parents brag about how very young their kids are, and how well they do at their respective nurseries. Have the parents ever realized that they are sacrificing their children’s infancy and childhood for their own comfort ? It the height of hypocrisy when parents claim that they have put their little tots into nursery schools for the good of the children. We don’t need a degree in child psychology to say that, it is certainly not in the best interest of the child to be put into nursery schools at such a tender age, whose wellbeing at that age should be with and around the parents as much as possible. In the last couple of years, I was fortunate to watch two great Hindi movies relating to today’s education, and they are both Aamir Khan’s movies. The message that he gave in both his movies was an ideal lesson for parents, both the films were very practical and engrossing, as Aamir being the perfectionist he is, we couldn’t expect anything less from him, I am sure all of you must have guessed the names of the two movies, yes, “Three Idiots” and “Taare Zameen Par”. These two movies are a must see, for every parent whose kids are studying and absorb the essence of those movies. Putting pressure on our children so that our dreams come true, is not the best way to mould our children and their future, we have to see and try to develop and enhance their skills and fulfill their dreams. This is the duty of every parent or else we may drive our child to a mental breakdown or even loose our child to suicide. Why do we not allow our kids today to enjoy their infancy and childhood without forcing them into the grind ? Life itself is a burden when we have to face the world, to move on in life, it’s a never ending process that ends only in the grave. So let’s not push the yoke on such little tots, give them space and time to enjoy their infancy and childhood, they will have enough struggles ahead, let infancy and childhood be theirs, to live and enjoy. Are the children given any free time by their parents ? I know a good number of children who go from tuition to tuition straight from school, with just a bite of snack for lunch. When was the last time we saw our kids playing outdoors in the neighbourhood or in the streets ? I know our neighbourhoods and streets are not as safe as they use to once be, but even then, during the holidays too we fail to see children running around the neighbourhood. With the advance in science and technology our kids have become the victims of motor bikes, mobiles, computer games and social networking sites, some even have access to porn, that’s one reason obesity is very high among the kids today. Along with studies children have to play outdoors to improve their metabolism, flexibility, stamina, health and even concentration. We all know the value of education in today’s world and we are aware of the competition too that stands in front of them, even then let’s not sacrifice their infancy, childhood and their future for our own egos, status and comfort. Let the kids be kids and hold on to their innocence and playfulness for a little while longer, before we put on a harness on their very young and vulnerable shoulders. Let us for once, not let our kids be the early worms eaten away by the birds, the stress of life, but let them sleep till the birds have had their fill, so that when the time comes, they become the early birds to have the very best of life. Freddy Agnelo Fernandes