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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

How to teach children to be strong?

In today's world where everyone is out gain advantage over you whether by fair or unfair means we all worry how our children will fare as they grow up in an overly aggressive and competitive environment. Will they collapse under pressure or learn to handle it with intelligent choices. I often worry about my kids as I think they are simple and introverted compared to a lot of other children. However, something happened today that made think that though they might not be the street smart extrovert category of teenagers, they will learn to deal with the world in their own way. This is how it goes.......
Two to three years ago D- block residents contributed for the upkeep of the D-block park. The funds and the responsibility of the park maintenance was given to two people. Now in their zealousness to prove that they could maintain a beautiful park these individuals stopped children from playing football in the park on the grounds that the plants and trees are damaged and the fear of injury to those walking nearby. When my children came home upset that they were not being allowed to play, lets say like any mother I saw RED. I then went door to door gathering support from the parents of children who played football and cricket to oppose this. Meetings were held and we argued that being a public park the children had the right to play what ever they wanted. No individual could dictate how the park is to be used. We also suggested that timings could kept for sport activities,  small fence be put around the hedges to prevent damage and children be told to be careful that the ball should not hit the walkers. But to no avail. These individuals argued that it was an ornamental park and advised that kids be enrolled in professional football or cricket academies if they and we were so keen that they play these games. I for the life of me cannot understand these utterly idiotic arguments. However, since then this issue has persisted with no clear resolution. Recently, a month ago the children were stopped again and I was fed up so I told them to go to another park. Now comes the interesting part, they talked with their friends and found out about a High Court verdict for a similar kind of issue in Rajinder Nagar which states that no differentiation can be made between one who chooses to do yoga, exercises or involve in a ball game in community parks.They have got a printout of the verdict and plan to share it with those opposing them.
What I am really happy about is that they did not back down after I got tired of fighting against continuous opposition, they thought strategically and planned to  fight for their right with facts. I don't know how this will pan out but am pleased with their mature response.It proves that kids do as you do and not as you say.
If we have to teach them to be strong then we do that by being so ourselves.