Cross your feet, elbows off the table, hold the spoon in your right hand, don't slouch! No playing in the mud. Don't get your clothes dirty. And the list goes on and on. Any idea who these instructions are for?
Tiny toddlers and kindergartners hear this almost everyday. In the hope of raising an ideal child who fits into society's perfect mould, we now have children who would prefer to sit at home and play on their Play Stations rather than go out, make new friends and have a ball. In the urgent need of preparing the citizens of tomorrow, we have deprived them of being children today.
Our fondest childhood memories are of evenings spent on the grounds playing out late, being yelled at to return home. Photos reveal hundreds of naughty, impish and mischievous smiles that were caught unawares. Today, its near to impossible to get candid pictures of children since they have already learned to pose and look 'cool'. School kids talk about Honey Singh and Sunny Leone and how amazing they are. They learn to sing all the popular songs and groove to them without thinking whether the songs even appealed to them personally or not. They try to emulate the way grown-ups dress and follow suit, pun intended.
They miss out on all the actual childhood experiences that shape us into who we are. As a result tomorrow's future will raise clones who have similar pasts with a similar reservoir of memories and experiences and nothing unique.
The next time you ask a kid to 'Grow up', think twice and maybe just allow them to grow.
Tiny toddlers and kindergartners hear this almost everyday. In the hope of raising an ideal child who fits into society's perfect mould, we now have children who would prefer to sit at home and play on their Play Stations rather than go out, make new friends and have a ball. In the urgent need of preparing the citizens of tomorrow, we have deprived them of being children today.
Our fondest childhood memories are of evenings spent on the grounds playing out late, being yelled at to return home. Photos reveal hundreds of naughty, impish and mischievous smiles that were caught unawares. Today, its near to impossible to get candid pictures of children since they have already learned to pose and look 'cool'. School kids talk about Honey Singh and Sunny Leone and how amazing they are. They learn to sing all the popular songs and groove to them without thinking whether the songs even appealed to them personally or not. They try to emulate the way grown-ups dress and follow suit, pun intended.
They miss out on all the actual childhood experiences that shape us into who we are. As a result tomorrow's future will raise clones who have similar pasts with a similar reservoir of memories and experiences and nothing unique.
The next time you ask a kid to 'Grow up', think twice and maybe just allow them to grow.
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