Parenting is indeed ‘a not so easy activity’, considering the quantum of emotional, sociological, financial and psychological investments required in raising a ‘good, decent and sane’ person. This investment is a herculean task as it has to adjust, compromise and quarrel with rising inflation, dog-eats-dog competition, situational joblessness, uncertainty, peer pressure, property rates, etc. Everything looks better and beautiful till a child is born, and it’s just after that the phases in consciousness of parenting changes. And, it has to because “change is the law of the universe”.
Every new decade brings a new structure and style of parenting. This epoch has gone too far as well! As usual, parents do perform their duties, responsibilities and functions but what genre of generation are they raising? This [current] generation is more fragile, narcissistic, self-interested, opinionated and apathetic. Pardon my premises, if you spot the apex fallacies in them, but this is it! The ‘dearest’ society finds a load of errors in today’s generation but they don’t endeavor to question the art of parenting. The burden of proof is on the parents, primarily, before holding the offspring ‘accountable’.
So, dear Parents,
When are you going to stop ‘comparing’ your kid with someone else’s child? Last time, I saw that it was impossible to judge a fish for not climbing the tree.
When are you going to offer ‘safe space’ to your kids? Last time, I saw that you bother too much in the privacy and cognition process of your kids.
When are you talking about the vitality of ‘mental health’ with your kids? Last time, I saw that you underestimated the initial symptoms of stress, depression and anxiety faced by your kids.
When are you going to hamper yourself from teaching your kids about casteism? Last time, I saw that they turned out to be racist and brutally opinionated.
When are you believing that ‘arranged marriage system’ is a form of stockholm syndrome? Last time, I saw that the arranged marriage(s) simply massaged the ego and arrogance of conventional society.
When are you going to stop measuring the success and failures of your kids? Last time, I saw that our society has very few peacemakers and minimalists.
When are you going to allow your kids to explore their own sexuality? Last time, I saw that homophobia has been easily normalized.
When are you impeding yourself from generalizing that boys can use pink and girls can use blue color? Last time, I saw that gender discrimination is deeply embodied in the genes.
When are you going to invest more in education than in marriage? Last time, I saw that relatives purposely gave poor feedback on biryani.
When are you offering the kids to discover that minimalism is better than materialism? Last time, I saw that greed and selfishness ruined the lifeline of planet Earth.
When are you facilitating an ecosystem for your kids that honors the axioms of consent, privacy and liberty? Last time, I saw that expropriation and infringement of rights was considered ‘cool’.
When are you letting your kids decide faith or religion by themselves? Last time, I saw that brainwashing just helped wars and communal philosophy.
When are you undoing your obsession with science and engineering or MBA and letting kids choose the best career for themselves? Last time, I saw that creativity, individuality and personal talent was mildly lynched.
When are you going to seek forgiveness from your kids for beating and spanking them hard? Last time, I saw that violence was considerably imbibed.
When are you going to stop pelting stones at your kid when s/he is trying to climb the mountain? Last time, I saw that it was not so easy to move on from the past.
When are you softening your tone and letting kids feel comfortable at home? Last time, I saw your fights push your kids to do drugs to escape the reality.
I end this open letter with an iota of disappointment, not because I have been through a lot already. I ratiocinate it with disappointment because parenting has almost become a conspicuous act of empathy, selective friendliness and asocial. Remember that kids imitate parenting from their own parents, and for the sake of mankind don’t punish your kids for hiding your social anxieties. There’s still time, there’s hope, before alarm rings the final bell!
