The biggest blessing…….

Even though, this blog is all about my travel experiences, this time I want to write about a completely different subject - subject which is closest to my heart. Recently finished working on an awareness campaign too in the same field. Below are a few ads.( Pls note- All children here have acted for the campaign,they are deeply loved by their parents)

Truly speaking, any number of words would fall short to express what I feel and mean by all this.

Agree, if there is one bad parent or a teacher, there are ten good parents and teachers in the world but that one child I see as my own child and that doesn’t let me take news as news. My child is 3.5 yrs and I really know what a 2 yr or a 3 yr child means. Am not obsessed with my child but am obsessed with every child’s safety and protection. If there is just one wish that I can be granted in this lifetime by God, I would ask that all the children in this world be safe & happy at all times and have a positive childhood.

Presently I don’t know what I’m going to do and how … to completely stop the abuse against children from our world but I intend so and I pray every day for the same. This blog post comes from my heart dedicated to all the children in this world. I send my deepest love and best wishes through this to all little ones.

I also want to plead to all parents, teachers and guardians to love children and be more patient. Please do not hurt them in anyway even if the same happened with you. Abusing a helpless innocent is the most heinous crime. Fill your hearts with love even when you look at your worst enemy’s child, even when a child is a brat of first order, even if a child hits you and doesn’t listen to you, even if he/she is the biggest disturbance in your life, even if you made the biggest loss or any other reason.

 A child is still vulnerable and innocent and deserves love and care. No child ever deserves to suffer the results of your revenge, hatred, anger, personal frustrations, or any need or perfection expectations program. Just treat kids as kids not step kids or others’ kids.

In my life journey so far, I see children as the best gifts of God. They come to teach us patience, tolerance and love. Unfortunately in most countries and cultures it is believed to be the other way round. Parents, elders and guardians are supposedly correct most of the times and by their position they become perfect enough to teach children about perfection J

I seriously feel there is a need for a two way education system. On one hand to educate elders on how to treat a child from the beginning even before a child is born.(I see the awareness program to be part  of pregnancy consultations, teacher’s training program, police training program and even military training program) And on the other hand, a child to be taught specifically about his rights and duties as a compulsory subject in schools from the very early age as soon as the child learns to communicate. (Have worked on a 4-5 page booklet for the same)

All this may sound funny to some, but imagine a 3-yrs old who is beaten  unreasonably on any & every  small issue; the poor child may not even understand that there could be something abnormal about his parents / teacher / guardian to even tell others. He may take that as part of parenting / teaching.

This is a country where children are even brought up with the belief that just because his father hit him, he passed the exam, he learnt the lesson or else he wouldn’t have become anything in life. People ask to the extent ‘who is the child scared of at home, child needs to have some fear?  Maths teachers make the subject scary.

I don’t understand, why the hell does the child need to be scared of anyone on earth? Are we perfect enough?? Don’t we make mistakes, don’t our parents make mistakes. If we don’t hit ourselves, our parents, our teachers, our bosses, the politicians, the corrupt then why children…. Just because they are small & physically delicate and it’s easy to hit them. From where does this idea of treating children as metals (beat and mould) come from?

Mahatma Gandhi’s father used silence and tears to teach his son that stealing is bad, he never hit him. Probably that’s why we got the lessons of truth, love and non violence from the same child.

You’re not strong if your child is scared of you and obeys you out of fear. You’re not strong if you lose temper easily and abuse any weak and vulnerable. You’re not strong if children suffer the consequences of your personal frustrations. You’re the weakest in the name of father, mother, teacher or guardian.

You’re a father:-

When a child can sleep peacefully in your arms believing that you can save him from all evils and dangers.

When a child knows that he can share anything with you and you’re there to understand.

When a child is not scared to fail because he knows that your love and encouragement will make him stand again to fight.

When a child waits for you to come back home knowing that he can play and laugh with you despite your hard day at work.

When your child doesn’t necessarily have to make you proud by coming first in the class or in sports or become what you wanted to be in order to get your approval and love.

And when you don’t tell your child to be but show your child how to be& the child obeys you out of respect and honor not fear.

You’re a Mother:-

When a child believes that whatever happens that one kiss or loving touch from mom can heal any injury or wound. And you don’t necessarily have to give birth for the same.

When a child feels that the most protected and secured place on earth is his mother’s lap & his mother would protect him/her at every cost even if that means going against the world & every relationship including husband.

When you mean love, sacrifice and care for the child.

When a child learns the lesson of faith, goodness and strength from you.

A teacher means ….

Someone who loves children more than English, Maths, Science, rules or his own reputation.

In every case love is the biggest teaching, the biggest lesson and the biggest learning. Then why do we stop believing in its power when handling small children... Every religion, every God believes in love and it can’t fail. I don’t mean pampering but loving and being an example of what we want our children to learn. .

If you want to teach patience…. be patient.

If you want to teach tolerance…. be tolerant.

If you want to teach love… be loving.

You can’t shout at child and say stop shouting. You can’t hit the child and tell him not to hit. Till the age of 8 everything that a child sees or hears becomes a part of his memory or belief system hence it’s important that it’s all positive.

Ya… That makes the life of the elder challenging, because we need to overcome our weaknesses first which may not be that easy. The experience of parenting or school teaching is not so much about teaching but learning. I do fail at many things lot of times and so I ask for forgiveness from my child and tell him that I am also learning along with him. I’ve not perfected the art of parenting, I can’t really teach anything to anyone but all am requesting is, please figure out your own ways to deal with children but make sure that you choose a loving & patient way. We’re trying…. You too can.

  

Some things that we can all look at:-

1.       Number of children to be proportional to the time and amount of attention one can give. Population is already the cause behind most issuesJ the lesser the better.

2.       Children are the biggest responsibility and priority so the relationship & mental stability to be considered before we decide to bring a child into this world just like that.

3.       Children learn from us, from surroundings, from TV. We must understand the reason before reacting in any harsh way.

4.       Never to hesitate to say sorry to the kid. By giving children respect, one earns respect .

5.       Sometimes it’s ok not to listen, sometimes it’s ok to be a rebel for a child because then only, one day he/she would rebel against the existing social & political evils.

6.       If one doesn’t have a child but wish for one and can give a good life filled with love to a child, one must not hesitate to adopt.

7.       Lets love and protect every child we can, whichever way we can.

8.       Not to ever accept any form of abuse by anyone on any child.

9.       Children are more precious than our house, our expensive car or any silly materialistic thing we may be attached to, even our egos, reputation and image. Lets bless children every day & pray for all.
  10.   To learn to love a child unconditionally. No one can predict future, no one can guarantee what a child will be but let us just make sure that we do our part right.

Most importantly, all of us have the power to be the biggest blessing or the worst nightmare in any child’s life….lets be the biggest blessing only. Positive Ideas, people and prayers are welcome to join this fight against abuse.