Will You Ever Talk Anything Except Studies?

            563rd BLOG POST -->>

       An aunt and her 8 years old son came to my home today for few hours. I was sitting in my bedroom. I was busy watching the press conference of Mr. Sachin Tendulkar when that boy came in my room. I asked him to sit on the bed with me. I asked few questions to him. He was quite spontaneous in every answer he gave. I sensed that he had an intellectual mind which had no limits and confinement. His attitude remained tranquil throughout the time I was questioning him about his life and interests. The nervousness which used to crop on his face as soon as I used to ask a difficult question were transitory. Even when he was mendacious, he made it so positive that I was unable to understand when was he lying and when he was delivering a truth. Whenever I asked him about studies, he gave me a valiant look which said that "Don't talk about studies, I am good at it, you see yours." :-) Throughout the conversation, he proved himself to be confident and yes, he was quite audacious and smart. I was impressed. 


          After a while, he asked me to change the channel to Star Cricket and he started seeing India vs Sri Lanka match in which both- Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir scored ton. He took the remote and learnt which button was for which function by trying each one of them once. Then, he increased the volume. Suddenly, his mother came into the room, yelled at him and asked him not to see Cricket. And then she went. I asked him,"What's the problem in watching Cricket?" He replied,"She feels that I am addicted to it like anything and hence she asks me to stay away from watching Cricket but she don't know that I love listening to the commentary." I asked him can you speak like they do. And he did it, and what should I say, it was far better than what Ravi Shastri and Rameez Raja do. :-)  I was astonished. For something, in which the child is excellent, mother is trying to keep him away from it. Rather she should motivate the 8 years old child. He is just 8 years old. Imagine if he gets support, how far will he go in his life !!! 


           Parents dominate children in the spaces they are good at. My father did it with me in the initial stage of Blogging. He felt that I am trying to be a celebrity and hence wasting my time in writing about my daily routine. But, later when I proved him that I am doing something which is worthy for my personality and brain development, he started supporting me. And with the support of my parents, I am going to be an author in few years. What more does a child needs? My parents always kept me away from Sports in childhood. Whenever I asked them if I could go on the ground to play with my friends, they stood as a barrier between me and my desire for playing. Result has been that today I feel quite weak than others. I run for 50 meters and I start panting as if I have ran for 10 kilometers. The scene would have been totally opposite if my parents would have allowed me for the sports in childhood. They allowed me for indoor games. That resulted in 3 Trophies for Carrom out of 4 times I have participated in the competition. :-) 


           Now-a-days, parents are just concerned about the percentage their child is scoring. Every parents want their child to be an Engineer/Doctor/MBA just because the admission process has become easier and the courses are available almost at every corner of any city. Parents have put their children in coaching classes. A child returns at 3 PM from school. Then, he is sent to coaching classes for next 5 hours. He returns at 8 PM. Then, he is given dinner. And then, for next 2 hours, he is made to sit and do homework by his own as parents are busy watching daily soaps and news channels. Once he completes it, he is asked to close his eyes and sleep rather than playing here and there as he has to go to school next morning. Is this the correct way to overload a small child with responsibilities, abundant studies and exalting in academic scores? Will a child ever dare to tell his parents about what his heart wants to do? Will a 8 year old child ever speak to his parents that he is interested in Shamaik Davar's dancing classes/Karate classes/ gymnastics or music? Never. Because, he knows that he don't have time for doing that and neither will his parents show any concern for his desire and dream. And this is how, he remains to be an under-confident student through out his life. And later on, when he is sent to hostel in Engineering, rather than studying he starts doing what he always dreamt throughout his life. And then, he spoils his engineering's years. Then, parents blame children for this. They don't see how they have dominated and confined the child throughout his school, junior college and college. 


            Parents shouldn't just talk about studies with their children. They should also talk about other interests of the child and support them in that. They should teach them Time management of how to balance both the things at the same time- Studies and Interest. A teacher who is a great reader of my blog also said the same thing to me one day. But I refused to write on this because I didn't had any idea about what she was talking about. But, today when I saw this 8 years old boy full of talent, confidence, eagerness, curiosity, and I saw the way he was being dominated by his mother, I felt it too uncouth and awkward. Parents will have to transmogrify themselves otherwise children will keep falling for love, girls, drugs, cocaine, gambling and other activities once they grow up to be independent. Parents, please THINK upon this.


   Thanks.


  ABHILASH RUHELA - VEERU