CHILDHOOD DAYS …… TREASURE THEM

It’s been a long time since I wrote a post ….and when I read an article in today’s newspaper  titled ‘ Some Hone Talents, Others Frolic ’ which explored the options  parents can opt for their children during the summer vacation , I thought that it’s a good time to bounce back into action.

Some schools have started offering additional extra curricular training during summer vacation. Camping is another such activity. Well, when I read this article, I said to myself ‘Good my school days are over’. If I had spent my childhood in this decade, I surely would not have realized the meaning of ‘leisure’. During my schooldays, summer vacation was associated with the feeling that another  year has passed by and it’s now time to enjoy the two months that lay ahead. During my time, no one ever went to any camping to learn new life skills. We imbibed them as time passed and we learnt to go with the flow.

Summer vacations were the days when we used to pack our suitcases and head to our grandparents’ home within a day or two after the term closure. I remember that 3 months prior to the term ending, we used to ask our teachers’ for the starting date of summer holidays. It was not because we were eager to prepare for our final exams but it was to give our parents’ nagging a rest. They wanted us to confirm the dates so as to book the train tickets well in advance at a lower rate. But now a day, if one finds the kids playing in the playground, it indicates that their vacation has begun. There isn’t much of a commotion when they play but it’s just the sight of a bunch of kids playing hide and seek, skating or learning to ride bicycle.

We also used to engage in extra curricular activities but it was during the weekends or after school hours. But no one ever thought of ruining one’s free time by engaging in skill honing activities during vacation.  In fact, it was the time of the year when our teachers found solace and rested their vocal chords.

But sometimes we used to sit glued to the television sets during the afternoon since we were forbidden to play under the scorching sun. Ninja Turtles, Small Wonder, Tom and Jerry, Captain Planet, Scooby Doo,Popeye, SWAT Cats, Flintstones, Jetsons, Yogi Bear, Sakura the Card Captor, Aladdin, Disney Specials are just some of the cartoons that were popular back then. But now, if you were to ask a child about them, they wouldn’t know. Instead they would list the XBOX games they are playing or imitate Bollywood number songs. That’s the current generation for you. Instead of the kids visiting the grandparents , it is the other way round. Grandparents flock in to visit their children’s homes to spend some time with their grandkids since both the parents are busy working 14X5 .

But in such a situation, for how long can one keep the children occupied, it’s just that their grandparents are staying with them for a couple of weeks. What after that? So the parents enrol their kids in some of the talent honing classes and there starts another competition with the neighbours’ kids.

Reading novels as a pass time is slowly fading into oblivion. Instead of reading stories or novels, kids are more inclined to spend 3 hours watching movie in a theatre. When asked the reason, they say that reading is very tiresome and boring as it takes a week to finish the novel. Even parents encourage movie watching as they feel that in this process, they can spend some time with their kids on a weekend. English speaking classes is the shortcut to mastering the English accent. But what about the kids’ vocabulary? A week long teaching can’t impart the same fun and knowledge that is gained while reading a story. As a kid reads the novel, the characters get life and the mystery unfolds as one turns the pages of the last chapter.

Games like kho kho, kabaddi, chain-chain, fire in the mountain, langdi, four corners, land and water were the most frequently played games of my time. But the kids now a day have not only never played these games but haven’t even heard about them.  When I see boys gang up and play cricket, I feel that it’s the only sport that their parents approve of. Girls prefer riding bicycle, skating or maximum a round or two of badminton. The activities that kids engage in are demarcated by age and gender. We never segregated the juniors during our play time, we used to term them kachcha nimbu meaning inexperienced and not to be taken into consideration while counting team points, nevertheless  they played alongside the older kids.

Well, I feel that it’s time parents got together and showed their kids the games they once played during their childhood. That’s how they can prevent their kids from plunging into the gadget-o-mania. Parents need to spend more time with their kids because once kids grow up; they wouldn’t be receptible to the love their parents shower upon them at a later age. It's unfair to ask the kids to adjust according to their parents’ schedule. Instead , it's the parents who need to devote time as per their kids’ wishes and demands.