Aditi Panda
Early days, or our ‘Bachpan’ always brings back nostalgic memories and every person reminisces of fond recollections, when you think of those golden days. The reminiscences are so special when life was not complicated but pleasant with happiness and joy coming from very small things like a pillion ride with a neighbor or hiding behind parked cars after breaking a window pane while playing in the building compound.
But are we allowing our children to enjoy that pleasure? As parents and teachers, we are the biggest barriers that stop the children from enjoying these small joys bogging them with academic performance, extra activity classes, turning them from children to mechanical robots who dance to our tunes! Who doesn’t want to be happy in life? Indeed, we all are in search of happiness.
The moment we start thinking about it, the memories of playful childhood flash before our eyes. “That age is of innocence and small things make children happy as their needs are limited. A small piece of chocolate, an ice cream or just a simple toy gives them pleasure in abundance. They feel secured and happy when parents are around. More so, playing with pets, peers, parents and grandparents; getting drenched in the rains, counting stars and watching a rainbow in the sky fill their hearts with joy. A little appreciation, a word of encouragement and a pat on the shoulder make them feel elated”, says Namita Mohanty, teaching Psychology at Utkal University.
“Academic pressure, competition, discrimination, unhealthy comparison and daily hassles of life are snatching away their happiness. We are being cruel to them by our over expectation, indifference and apathy which inhibit their need for curiosity and creativity. It further makes the children feel inhibited and depressed. To make them happy, we must allow them to express their feelings as it is their right to be happy”, she added.
“Childhood is the most blissful period of one’s life. Far from anxiety, ego, stress and strain, the child is content in her world whether s/he belongs to the rich or poor. A full stomach, an unconditional love, some free play make her complete. No regrets for yesterday, no worries for tomorrow, but dwelling upon her imagination, the child is happy and we as adults must make sure that the children have a happy childhood to cope up with the pressure in the later life”, says Sabita Patnaik, founder and principal, KIDZZ Bloomingdale’s.
Even though the trend has changed the children are still children and will find happiness and satisfaction in insignificant things like sharing their lunch boxes in school, sailing paper boats in the poodle, watching their favourite cartoons on TV and even licking cream from the cream biscuits. Why not we become children and join in these inane things and try to grab some happy moments in our stressful lives?
(Aditi is a freelance writer and pursues interest in the area of social issues)
Childhood memories are the treasure trove of happiness that helps us overcome the vagaries of modern mechanical life. Let’s help our children to have an enriching experience of childhood.
Yeah.
Agree.its not only making our children enjoy alone but share those moments with them to bring back our childhood memories back
childhood starts from birth .lets up give our child to enjoy it.
Yeah
Good one
Thanku
ok
Sir plz specify ok to understand your point of view better
Yes I agree with the given Article that childhood is the best part in everybody’s life(full of fun with full of innocence) and our children should enjoy their childhood as we enjoyed in our time.
– Lora Mohapatra (shared on WhatsApp)
Thanks lora for your comments
Childhood…a garland of happiness,innocence,pranks,playing outdoor games,roasting in the sun….(the list is endless) sprayed with blissful sleep with not a worry in the world…reminds me of the Bollywood song…” bachchpan ke din bhi kya din thhey”
But the present generation…they don’t make them anymore…dey will have memories of mobiles,computers n TV.
So rightly said mangala.even de parents should spend more time with the children to create these moments
I will agree with the article. parents only killing their childhood ness.we have to understand and cooperate with them. Now a days they don’t have time to play .they are rushing behind their careers. Even parents also dnt have time in their busy schedules
Thanku for your sincere comments
Interesting article. I totally agree. But unfortunately in this materialistic world most parents who themselves are caught in the rat race are unable to teach their kids how to be a child. No wonder today’s kids have a very short childhood unlike earlier years where innocence lasted much longer. (Posted by Renuka Chetty from Pune.received thru wassup)
Nice to see the discussion on the issue. Thank you everyone for the thoughts. It is a burning topic of the contemporary time. But we all feel silent to watch killing of Childhood at almost every home. Time to open our mind.
Yes.this issue is very crucial and close to everybodys heart.but a good discussion
Bringing up children in a family or in a society is a very complex tasks.Children need to get acclamatised to various situations both pleasurable and sorrowful situations and should learn how to live in the society together,also learn to adjust themselves.They have to have pleasure no doubt,but at the same time should learn to find the hidden pleasure of sharing the sorrowful situation.They truely need a reasonably balanced support and surrounding.
Thank you very much sir for your words of encouragement and your perception too. please keep commenting.
In my experience, children grown with tough environment and surrounding have come out very good to excellent people as EXAMPLER in the society
So parents have to have their individual choice for the extent of pleasure they should provide for their children .
On wassup from mrN.N.Jena, retired corprate professional, bbsr
Thanku jena sir for your beautiful and thoughtprovoking comments
Childhood is the most replayable period of every one (no pressure of work,family tensions nothing).But today childhood is becoming mechanical for most of children because of their parents expectations. We should leave them free from this competitions and let them enjoy their precious period of life which never come back again. I remembering the lines “koi mujhe lautado wo bachpan ka sawan,wo kagaj ki kasti,wo barish ka pani ”
On wassup from Dr. Sujata Kanungo,Kathmandu, Nepal
You are right,we all want our bachpan ke din to come back.6
u r very true…. we don’t have other options ..sometimes the intentions are well but the execution by the parents (which are usually influenced by their own brought up)proves disaster on the child psyche.U have brought out a very relevant point to ponder in today’s time…is it to blame today’s nucleus family?..competition? …..desire to see own child smarter..I don’t know. However I see God has his own way…today’s child enjoy their childhood in their own style & r far smarter than us.
On wassup from Ruchi Raiguru,mumbai
Yes ruchi you are correct but we can still spend some quality time with our kids
childhood never ends.all shold rember it.we appeal for lost of childhoodness.
You said it right.the child in you is always there.cherish that feeling
Competition & pressures are always existing but if u forget to enjoy your childhood, u will not have anything to look back& enjoy. So,let the kids enjoy& as parents we can rewind our memories when they have a wonderful time.
And increase there happiness by joining them in there antiques
It all depends on the parenthood, how the parents can involve the children in household work in such a way explaining the reason,benefits of such work in LOGICAL and scientific manner so that the children feel pleasurable and such learning could be very deep seated and would never forget throughout their lifetime not only that, such learning they normally use effectively and innovatively for similar or in some new situations.
Such children those who get good exposure in the household work , normally develop Good or higher levels of commonsense,logical reasoning, innovativeness and have inclusive development to be a successful Carrierist and life.
Most of the very successful people in all facets of live,their childhood would mostly indicate the above mentioned facts.