JOIN US“Mom, I am bored.” How many times in a day do you hear this? May be countless times. This is more so during holidays. Two months’ summer holidays is a distressing period for parents — especially working mothers. How to keep their children occupied productively or unproductively is the prime concern for the mothers. The new generation is a bored generation. Even with 24x7 TV channels, computers, play stations, X-boxes and summer camps the children are bored to the core. Can electronic world ever be a match to the real humble unadulterated and unhindered fun?
Many summers ago, our holidays were truly enjoyable and an absolute stress buster. Even without TV and computers, we had our hands full and there was never a dull moment. The plans for the next summer holidays were framed even before the current holidays ended. We either visited our grandparents or a truck full of cousins and aunts visited us.
The curtains drawn to escape from bright scorching sun, it was non-stop chit chat, a game of ludo, snakes & ladder or marbles in the backyard. We were oblivious to the word boredom. The evening hours were reserved for cricket in the street and hide and seek in the court yard. In between shots, we showed up to snack on deep fried bhajiya and freshly made jalebi. The host was never hassled on how to entertain the guests and from where to order pizza for them (as there were no pizzas then and eating out was an exception and not routine).
Lack of space and no attached bath never bothered the host. Post dinner time was even more fun. Lolling over the long rail of mattresses on the floor; we enjoyed the small pleasures of childhood. Our working mother never felt that the guests overstayed, even two months’ stay was less.
Now cousins are too pre-occupied to visit family and even the host is busy ferrying children from one summer camp to another. “If cousins come, who will look after them during the day? They will get bored and cooking meals for four extra people, sorry where is the time?” I wonder how such formalities originated between first cousins?
However it originated, in our greed to grab too much from life, our children are missing out on the real childhood.