A guest post on present day kids by an experienced professor ,student counselor and who has dealt with various kinds of children for 30 years. She chose the topic "Be The Change.."to articulate her thoughts.
I hear more often in every gathering of friends and relatives who are
above fifty years of age that there is a
degeneration or disregard for values among youth of today . Blindly young boys
and girls discard discipline and they project themselves as modern
revolutionaries. Elders get worried when
they question the custom and tradition
and don’t show any interest in participating in festivals and celebrations . The common complaint is
that the youth disobey and disrespect elders. They care less for developing and
fostering relationships with extended family members and they want to have fun
with friends and enjoy all the luxury that
they buy with the hard earned
money of their parents. Some parents themselves feel that nothing can stop them
from taking impulsive decisions which
may lead them to failures or dangers and they are not ready to mend their ways
when counselled .
Though these are very valid fears , I feel as elders we all know that
times are changing and we need to move on . Unlike the parents ,young girls and boys of today are brought up in a very different environment . It is
not necessary for a parent to pamper a
child , he pampers himself and the parent is proud when a child achieves
something and the boy/ girl is treated like an adult to a great extent .
Parents of today forget that the boys and girls are hundred percent more
shrewd than them . They have to be role models
to the young ones . The children will not accept anything that the
parent discards, be it custom , tradition , culture , respect , bonding or
kindness. If we expect our youth to be good , we have to be good . The youth
are like the metal lid of a container .
When the lid sometimes due to wear and tear , does not fit / close the
container ,We give a pat / hit it on its sides to bring it to shape . Likewise
,when the youth go out of hand , we have to counsel them sternly and try to
make them understand that there are boundaries not to be crossed . Some may
require professional counselor's help,
let us not hesitate to provide that too.
We did not grow up with TV , Computer
, Tablets and mobile phones on our tables. The way we spent time was very
different . I firmly believe that there is no degeneration among youth .
We find the youth reacting quickly and
positively as and when required . They are kind and willing to help and there
are many incidents of young men and women helping the society at the times of
natural calamities like floods and earthquakes.
A parent’s role is as important as
the role of a teacher and it is our responsibility to channelize the physical and intellectual energies of the younger generation towards
the right direction . On a positive note , let
us be the change that we want to see in our young men and women as
Mahatma Gandhi said.
Mahatma Gandhi said.
