THE MID WAY

To, Dear Parents Have you heard someone saying things like: “ Humne to tumhari umr mei naukri bhi shuru kar di thi ” or may be “ tumhari umr mei main poore ghar ki zimmedaari sambhaalti thi ” ? I’m sure each one of us has, sometime or the other, been on at least one side of this comparison Many people must have been fortunate enough to have seen both the sides of the coin i.e. being compared with one’s parents by the parents, and comparing oneself to his/her children. Sometimes, the children have heard their parents’ childhood stories from their grandparents. In this case, they refuse to be compared at all. Even if our children are not aware of it, at least we ourselves know the truth- we know how the times have changed- more in the past 30-40 years than ever before. Before telling our children how they should be like the kids we ‘were’; should we not tell ourselves to be what our parents ‘were’? We should also try and compare ourselves as parents today and our parents as they were whe...

  THE MID WAY Parenting is a big responsibility and comes with a number of challenges at every step. One of the biggest tasks expected of a parent, is to help the child to take up the right path in life. This challenge has many aspects-- personal, social professional etc. When it comes to professional guidance, the most important question is when is the right time to discuss this issue with your child. When I say 'child' it should not be taken in the literal sense. When your child is a 'child' let him 'be', do not stress his innocent mind with what he should become when he grows up. At the same time, if you wait for the child to become an adult, before you discuss his professional choice with him, it might be too late for the preparation needed for any particular choice. Thus, just like most of the complex situations, even this dilemna can be solved by going for the mid-way. Parents should discuss with the 'child' the professional side of his life, whe...