In today’s world, kids have multiple avenues to develop intellectually and morally. School, coaching classes and personal tuitions are a few examples of the avenues that undertake the responsibility of this development. As the child grows, parents diligently attend to his or her physical and mental health, intellectual growth, entertainment demands, general knowledge as well as all other worldly conveniences that are deemed essential. At the end of all this perseverance, when the kid clears 12th grade at age 18, the society is presented with a “final product”.
A lot of introspection has gone in to refining this “final product”. For example, what level of intelligence, understanding and maturity should a kid, using powerful tools like computer or cell-phone, have? What can we expect in terms of cultural and moral values from a kid who has watched and learnt from television and Internet, right from infancy? After putting in a lot of thought to this matter, the same questions were posed to parents. Each parent was assigned the task to create a list of things that they, as parents, need to do, so as to impart these intellectual and moral values to the children, in their own homes. Several enthusiastic parents agreed to partake in this activity and started to submit written suggestions for the intellectual and moral betterment of our children. After 3 months of rigorous efforts from about 25 affectionate, thoughtful and highly experienced parents, we are presenting you with this booklet.
Lets make home, a “Gurukul”, an educational institution. A detailed list has been compiled of what all should we teach a child by the time he/ she turns 9. The objective should be that by the time the child is 9, he/ she must be proficient in performing all the items on this list, independently. The child should have these things firmly embedded within himself or herself. At the same time, we need to mindful of the fact that every child is different and is blessed with unique strengths. Parents should be acutely aware of the “uniqueness” of their child and raise them with lot of love and affection. That’s where parents will need to demonstrate their understanding and maturity. Do not subject your child to comparison or competition! Parents, who diligently involve themselves in educating their children while also being sensitive, will experience a huge improvement in their children’s present and eventually their future.
A home that is focused on character development is full of joy, excitement and lively interactions. Love and affection always seem to be in air. Free times are filled with discussions and brain storming sessions and kids are active participants in everything happening in and around the house. Home feels “homely” and everyone works like a team in-synchrony. Everyone, from kids to grandpa and grandma, are learning and teaching, understanding and explaining, developing and helping develop, blossoming and helping others blossom! The home is filled with happiness, love, peace, inspiration, warmth, cooperation, enthusiasm, endurance, strength and divinity. It’s this experience of a family pulsating with vibrant life that makes a house a “home”. Every member of the family, regardless of where he/ she is during the day, feels the warmth, love and comfort of his home. Come evening, he feels nostalgic and wants to be back at home. Home should be an experiment laboratory of life where character is developed. New experiments, new discoveries, new inventions! The joy of life! The excitement of life! The enthusiasm of life! Healthy individual, healthy family, healthy home resulting in a healthy society. We can make this happen. We are independent and capable of doing this. We have to do this. We have to do this for our-self. Only we can do this!
The child development journey that began at birth provides identifiable milestones that need to be achieved by age 9, before carrying on further. It is possible that some parents might join late in this journey. That’s not a reason to worry. It is never too late. The objective is an all around personality as well as moral development. Be affectionate and patient.
We have also provided an approximate map of what a child should become proficient in, year by year after age 9. There is no reason to worry or become impatient if this journey runs into hurdles. Whatever time is lost should be gradually made-up, by the time the child turns 18. Remember that every child is different, his/ her understanding and intelligence as well as interest and aptitude is different. If there are things that he/ she does not like or does not want to learn at that particular time, do not get upset or angry. Give them time. Be patient. Stay self-confident and develop that in the child.
Remember that children learn by osmosis. It’s not what the parents say and teach, but what they do and how they live, which leaves a lasting impact on the children. The parents will first need to develop the values, character and personality within themselves, before being able to impart them to the children.
Every home will need to develop in to a “Gurukul” in order create awareness and develop the entire society. Parents will need to re-adjust their priorities and make some sacrifices. They will need to spend more time with their children and spend less time being career-oriented and financially driven. Instead of delegating these responsibilities to schools and tuition classes, parents will need to be active participants with these institutions to help children achieve the outlined objectives.
Before making kids morally sound, parents will need to be so. Before kids can develop their personalities, parents will need to have a role model personality. Before kids can develop integrity of their character, parents will need to show that they have it within themselves. A diligent and righteous efforts must be put in. As it is said “If everyone keeps their porch clean, the world will be clean”. Similarly, if every parent educates their child as outlined in this booklet, we will have an entire generation that is intellectually as well as morally fit and resilient. Let us all begin working on this right away.
Let us read this literature and put the knowledge to work. Let us all parents get more involved in raising our children by being attentive to the suggestions outlined here. Let us all play a responsible role in the growth and development of our children. Let us all face the challenges confronted to us by the 21st century with strength and character. Investing in our children’s present is an investment in our own future!
Let us all as residents of Amdavad understand, acknowledge and accept these principles. This would be one of the several important endeavours towards the goal of making our city “Aadarsh Amdavad”. By 2012, this message should resonate with every single of the 12 lakh households of Amdavad. To realize this dream, our organization “Aadarsh Amdavad” is respectfully requesting encouraging words, pious blessings and generous cooperation from the citizenry of Amdavad.
Convener- Shri Bharatbhai J. Shah.
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