Parenting - the toughest job!
hello, this was an article i had written to my friend's blog "rambling with bellur" for which i have provided a link on my blog. thought of sharing it with my friends on my blog here with very minute alteration.
ParentingAugust 17, 2007
by Latha Vidyaranya
I agree that parenting is the toughest job on earth. It seldom gets its due share of acknowledgement, and generally goes unsung. It is the most difficult job, where you get hands-on training on the spot, on the real platform always! No prior rehearsals are possible and no ‘undo’ or ‘delete’ options are available if the errors are committed. Though there are thousands of parenting manuals available in the market, all suggestions given are at the most guidelines only and not the absolute truths. That is because no two kids or two parents or two families are similar. Each one is unique with their own amusing characteristics that one man’s Visha (poison) can become another’s Amrutha (nectar) in this matter.
And don’t we all agree that we start realizing and appreciating our parents’ efforts only when we become a parent ourselves!?
And how soon the birds are ready to fly out of the nest! And then starts our lamentation of how I could have spent that time with my kid and how I should not have done this or that and how I could be a totally different parent if only I am given one more chance now to parent my little kid all over again!
So all you young parents, come on, slow down with your other “more important businesses of life”, grab this chance of spending good time with your kids helping him or her to evolve into a beautiful human being tomorrow. Be there for him or her when he or she needs you the most. If not physically possible, at least be there ALWAYS with your kid EMOTIONALLY. Say it in words how much you love him/her, say that you always trust and respect his/her views, you are always there for them both in their achievements and more importantly in their failures too!
I am reminded of a child’s words to its parents:
“Papa and Mama, Love me most when I deserve it the least for it is then that I need it most”.
6 comments:
Fair statement. Emperor penguins also have it bad.
"So all you young parents, come on, slow down with your other “more important businesses of life”, grab this chance of spending good time with your kids helping him or her to evolve into a beautiful human being tomorrow. Be there for him or her when he or she needs you the most. If not physically possible, at least be there ALWAYS with your kid EMOTIONALLY. Say it in words how much you love him/her, say that you always trust and respect his/her views, you are always there for them both in their achievements and more importantly in their failures too.".
Noble thoughts indeed. But is it possible? In the West where I live, some say it will be difficult to see young kids in numbers in 20 years. The number of parents in their 40s with their babies in cradles is growing. The number of Indian couples without children are growing as they busy in working hard to earn more and more and save Euros, pounds or dollars more and more(what purpose I aways wondered!)
here in india too the trend now is of DISK - double income single kid or DINK - double income no kids. it is the hedonistic attitude of the current generation that is not ready to take pains in bringing up another kid to this world. perhaps, many of them perceive neglect by their own parents and hence do not cherish the idea of having a kid for themselves. they see no meaning in it. they just want to live happily and die happily without any strings attached!
we need to ask them to explain what makes them remain childless by choice.
readers, please enlighten us.
hello aamod,
that was a nice link you have provided us to understand how difficult it is even among emperor penguins to do the job of parenting! interesting!
I do not think 'double income single kid' is bad in itself as far as India is concerend which adds to it one Australia each year. Indeed, it is what is needed to slow down the population for the sake of conserving the country's resources for the future. What is necessary in this case is to ensure that parents spend ample time with the kid each day and not during the week end which tends to happen. But couples with the motto' double income with no kid', in my opinion have a short time vision of 'no strings attached' but forget that after all they are mortals, and what they have saved will go to a next of kin after their lives. They seem not to realise that their dollar/pound/euro savings are for a relative to lead a very comforatble life indeed!
the double-income-no-kids (read it as no hassels)kind of couple seem to have a hedonistic kind of philosophy on life wherein they feel that life is full of pleasures and that no pleasure should be missed at the expense of having kids. yes, i do agree that having kids and bringing them up is a big job full of responsibilities. but there is also a joy and an unexplicable, self-less happiness that parents experience when their kids grow up into responsible adults. a sense of fulfillment having accomplished a great responsibility that God had bestowed on us, all this out of His Grace. ofcourse, many couples remain childless by choice as they feel there are more noble causes to attend to in the society, like, helping and sponsoring another's child come up in life. i salute such noble souls.
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