Raising the future

One fourth of it comes from the parents. Another one fourth is acquired through education, upbringing and exposure to people. Karma and one’s own experiences make up the remaining half.

Children normally are keen observers. They observe everything, every moment.

Unfortunately, most parents are oblivious to the fact that children are scrutinizing them every moment. When the parents get angry, tell lies or scorn at people, children imbibe them. It is important for the parents to be free from stress because the parents’ stress or joy and their character and attitudes get transferred to the child. If the parents are violent, the child will also become violent. It they are devoted or at least they act devoted, the seed of devotion will sprout in the child and they will become genuinely devoted and matured.

By nature children have trusting tendencies. But as they grow old, somewhere their trust is broken or shaken. A healthy child will have three types of trust - in the divinity, in people and in the goodness of people. These three types of trust are the ingredients to make a child talented and a genius. If you keep telling children that everyone is a cheat, the child loses trust in the people and the society. When we create an atmosphere of trust, children grow up to be brilliant.

It is a skill to bring up children who are creative, confident, and emotionally mature.

Parents need to learn the ability of pointing out the mistake of a child without making him or her feel guilty. The courage to confess without the fear of alienation needs to be inculcated in children. The greatest challenge of the parent is to guard against their children getting an inferiority or superiority complex.

A little bit of religiosity, moral and spiritual values can make an impact on children. Every day when you come back from work, just play or laugh with them. As far as possible, sit and have food with the whole family. Take your children out on a Sunday, give them some chocolates and ask them to distribute to the poorest kids or take them to some slum and ask them to do some social service once or twice a year. Make them do a bit of singing, chanting, meditation and pranayama. Research has shown how pranayama and meditation improves the performance of children. They feel calmer, attentive, alert and are able to perceive better.