Parents want everything to be perfect for their children from the moment they were born, from getting the best clothes to enrolling them in a top school. Parenting a kid is not as easy as it sounds, especially in India. Parents decide for themselves what’s best for their children, and most of the times it turns out to be good, but it’s not what they would have expected.
|| Bhuvaneswaran P
There are many essential aspects of life that parents fail to teach their children, let alone children are not allowed to speak specific topics at home as if it’s a sin. How many childrenhave had a conversation with their parents about rape, drug, porn, periods etc.? Probably none. Parents don’t want their children to ask such questions, which is why children are hesitant to be friendly with their parents.
Here we discuss five things Indian parents don’t teach their kids.
1. Sex Education
How often does a child talk with their parents about sex? Answer is never. Even if kids muster the courage to ask their parents any questions related to sex, they shy away from answering it. What’s up with that? Are Indian children forbidden to talk about sex?
It paves the way for the internet which teaches them everything they need to know. But it also comes with other nasty contents which are not relevant to children. It’s high time parents sit with their children and talk about tabooed topics.
2. Marks vs Career
Every child in India has heard this sentence umpteen times, “If you don’t get good marks in your board exams, then your life will be wasted” This is so not true. Education is essential, but marks don’t need to be the only way to gauge a child’s skills.
One more thing Indian parents love to do is compare the scorecard of their children with their neighbour’s children. Parents, try to understand this type of comparison sometimes leaves a scar on a child. If a child is not performing well in exams, instead of scaring them, just be there for them. Your words should comfort them, not the other way around.
3. Financial Independence
People live in platforms, in poverty, and apart from seeing such saddening sights, there is one more to add to this list: seeing someone in their 20s who look at others while filling a form in the bank. More than 75% of Indian adults do not have enough knowledge about financial concepts, revealed by an S&P survey.
Schools don’t teach about money, parents don’t talk about money, all they want for children is to study physics, chemistry and maths. Parents should teach their kids about finance if they want their child to be financially independent. With bitcoins, the stock market and insurance schemes blooming, it is vital that this generation of kids learn the basics of financial concepts.
4. Political Exposure
If you ask a 14-year-old teen, who is the MP in their constituency? Probably they wouldn’t know that. Everyone thinks politics is garbage, and this is not something parents would like to discuss with their children. Politics has become an integral part of our life, and children are the future of our country.
Every child should learn about Indian Polity, civil laws and current political scenario. Learning politics will not broaden their knowledge but it will also make them a responsible citizen.
5. Freedom of Speech
Article 19 of the Indian constitution takes a hit here; children of every Indian household are not supposed to speak their mind. Often kids are scolded or even slapped if they speak against their parents. There’s a difference between being disrespectful and saying their thoughts, and parents should know this.
Children should be taught what to speak and what not to speak with others and within the family. If a child disagrees with their parents, parents often assume that their kids are not obeying them. Hindering a child’s voice will only adversely affect their speaking skills or social skills when they grow up.
Summing up
Not everything can be taught at school or college, parents have to shed some light on the different intricacies of life, or when a kid grows, they will have a hard time at adulting. It would indirectly affect their career or even their mental health. Wake up parents, before it’s too late.
