Choking memories

Nowadays, parents are thinking ahead to their children's education in a world where science, intellectualism, and competition are an integral part of life. While the parents are willing to adopt every possibility to provide the best education for their children, no one is willing to empirically assess and admit to a child's inner capabilities and self. 

In most parents' eyes, a child is nothing more than a blank canvas with no inherent ability to express himself or herself and they are supposed to be filled with 'proper' brush and paint. 

And they believe carrying heavy bags will assure the kids of being at the top for years to come. A lovable force of oppression is taking away their mischievous childhood activities. 

Their situation is similar to that of bonded labourers who are employed by their parents without feeling any responsibility. In short, we are producing a generation that is exhausted. 

To be honest, we are envious of society and want to exact revenge on it by ensuring that our children become what most of us were unable to achieve through our efforts. 

We have, admittedly, forgotten the ways of being content, which has resulted in an unobserved violation of children's rights, perpetrated by their parents, who are only concerned with competitiveness and with a sense of impunity. 

We, as adults and elders, have a rich trove of childhood reminisce to savour anytime we become nostalgic. 

Everyone has an unpublished childhood novel with exciting plots, gorgeous scenes, and relevant backgrounds, as well as numerous and memorable characters from school, neighbourhood, relatives, playfields, streams, rivers, lanes, and surrounding fields. 

Only memories of rigidly enforced formal schooling, homework, and attendance at tuitions under the watchful eye of hardworking parents, particularly mothers, will never be enough to fill the void that will inevitably exist in the future harsher days of extreme conditions and loneliness. 

We were fortunate enough to enjoy nature in the mornings and evenings and were dragged home unwillingly in the evenings because all forms of amusement were freely available in an open atmosphere. 

And I feel this was a necessary distraction from the maelstrom of socio-psychological demands, strains, and concerns during those difficult days. But I wonder what the children of today's screen-age will crave in their later years?

They will have nothing to laugh, weep, or miss in the virtually solitary days because they do not have an outdoor free world of playmates, peers, and neighbours. 

And because of the increasing attitude of individualism, their senior days would be more difficult than ours. They are compelled to live their lives in the manner of grownups. 

Only memories of rigidly enforced formal schooling, homework, and attendance at tuitions under the watchful eye of hardworking parents, particularly mothers, will never be enough to fill the void that will inevitably exist in the future harsher days of extreme conditions and loneliness. 

Carrying various brands of laptops and mobile phones loaded with games, puzzles, and apps may distract for a while but may never provide that pure sense of fulfilment, joy and wonder. 

Furthermore, we apprehensively grip a child's finger till he or she reaches maturity, obstructing his or her ability to comprehend society and encounter numerous situations, which certainly require a certain amount of independence for self-learning beyond the realm of devices. 

Unfortunately, in today's rat-race environment, this portion as a vital qualification to have been given to the youngsters has no place. 

Of course, life isn't always easy. It can take on rough forms at times, and we must consider if our children with merely degrees and certificates will be able to walk over it without learning the necessary life skills. 

Apart from becoming professionals and technological experts, there is a lot more to learn. Learning to overcome obstacles is the true security we should provide for our children. 

We simply want to see them achieve prestigious positions. And as we can see, they become frail, and even minor adversity causes tremors in their lives, causing them to fall to their knees. 

But they will be able to handle the weird and terrible conditions if they are groomed with good life skills. I have never been opposed to modern methods of instruction and extra care. 

It is unquestionably true that intellectual growth and academic excellence are inextricably linked. But I'm also concerned about the children's lost childhoods and future hollowness in terms of events that might reacquaint them with their family, society, and, most importantly, their old selves. 

When things get out of hand, nature steps in and ruthlessly enforces its will. We have witnessed and experienced the human and economic damages caused by the pandemic. 

But aside from other harsh interventions to put things right, it has also taught us that if we don't take care of our children's childhoods, nature becomes harsher, disrupting all formality to offer them unimaginable amounts of free time. As parents, we must be sensible and visionary to care for our children without becoming their fate writers.  

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.