Friday, July 15, 2011

My kiddo's at school

I have started my field work again with a new bunch of kids. Kids I meet these days amaze me in many ways. I wish we as adults had half their excitement, contentment and determination. It's very easy to explain stuff to kids, they understand when you put words in the right sense. I know my friends with kids would tell me to remember these lines for those later days when I have my own kids. But that's again a significant question as to why we lose patience with our own kids. No amount of field trips can perhaps prepare one for parenthood and as a parent your job does not end by 4pm at school. However should it make us irritated and impatient to understand these little adults? Recently a kiddo asked me why I had no babies if I was married. Before I could answer the other kiddo told the first one, that it happens to many married women- they don't have babies. And they both put up a sad face and told me I would be fine. I was amazed at how they did not require an answer from me. That's kids.

Recently I realised how much we could learn by observing and listening to kids which half of us never do in life. We really don't have the time for kids and elders and what we do to them has happened and happens to us- something I label as the boomerang effect.But closely observe the kids and you might benefit from insightful learnings.

We were discussing on love and relationships at 4th grade and suddenly a girl got up and emphatically told me she was against love. on further discussion she revealed people who ran away and married never got fridge, TV and bed and so she does not want to miss out on those comforts for love. Her parents dont have any of these till date because they had a love marriage. Suddenly the group went silent as if they were all ruminating on their friend's points . As I left school that evening I could not stop wondering if our conditioning as girls were contributing to dowry deaths in a way. We expect from parents and demand from our kids don't we? Behind hushed doors of educated families and open alleys on the uneducated aren't we all the same? And if school is a microcosm of the world out there wasn't the 4th graders views a reflection of ours?

I really don't know and I really don't believe these are fanciful passing thoughts.Hope some of you reflect and share your views on this.

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