A very big question for the
PARENTS……
Is it possible to Bridge the generation
gap???
We always had complains, “Our parents don’t understand us”and our parents had the
same complains against us. Today we have complains against our children and they
also might be having the same views about us…….rightly said, ‘History repeats itself!!’
Now, when we have attained parenthood, we realize that whatever our parents used to say was correct to a CERTAIN EXTENT!!! Since, we are also behaving in the same way and are following the same trend. When questioned, we have reasons for our behavior just as our parents also had, which according to us are valid enough.
Some such reasons given by us are:-
We are concerned about you, we have experience and we know the
consequences, who else will guide you better than us , will we ever take any
wrong decisions for you?, we never questioned our parents /accepted what they said (children will for sure think ..O really!!! )……….on and on and on…
Similarly children also have the reasons for their behavior as we had in our times ….You don’t understand what I say , you don’t have faith in me, you always tell me or find faults with me, why can ‘t I do it the way I want to do , why do you treat me like a child?, why …, why …why…???
Children never ever like, to be compared or to be told that, what they are doing is not
the way we did in our times, especially when it is told in a negative way and not as an appreciation. We have to understand as parents, that our kids are not living in those times, then why do they need to do things as it was done at that time!! Or as we did. They are separate individuals not our Xerox copies. They have their own strengths and have much more exposure, so let them try their own methods and succeed in their endeavors.
Why can’t we do away with the conventional methods of parenting and try to at least
REDUCE the generation gap if not REMOVE it.
Can we really do that? Is it really possible? Of course! Why not!!
Certain things have to be kept in mind :- We have to STOP BEING JUDGEMENTAL, we don’t have to be AUTHORITATIVE rather we should be FRIENDLY, we have to give them RESPONSIBILITIES according to their capacities we have to give REASONS for our disapprovals, we need to APPRECIATE their smallest achievements, we don’t have to CRITICIZE their shortcomings or mistakes,we don’t have to FORCE them to follow what we say, rather we have to GUIDE them and MENTOR them about right or wrong, we should LISTEN to understand and not just to REACT , we should be always ready to LEARN from them, since they are the new generation ,more exposed to technology and also aware of the latest trends. Mind you, they are the future and we are on the verge of becoming the past, so better, let us accept them, respect them and become their companions.
“You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you, for life goes forward not backward.”
Mrs. Arti Bhatia
(Counsellor and Language trainer)
PARENTS……
Is it possible to Bridge the generation
gap???
We always had complains, “Our parents don’t understand us”and our parents had the
same complains against us. Today we have complains against our children and they
also might be having the same views about us…….rightly said, ‘History repeats itself!!’
Now, when we have attained parenthood, we realize that whatever our parents used to say was correct to a CERTAIN EXTENT!!! Since, we are also behaving in the same way and are following the same trend. When questioned, we have reasons for our behavior just as our parents also had, which according to us are valid enough.
Some such reasons given by us are:-
We are concerned about you, we have experience and we know the
consequences, who else will guide you better than us , will we ever take any
wrong decisions for you?, we never questioned our parents /accepted what they said (children will for sure think ..O really!!! )……….on and on and on…
Similarly children also have the reasons for their behavior as we had in our times ….You don’t understand what I say , you don’t have faith in me, you always tell me or find faults with me, why can ‘t I do it the way I want to do , why do you treat me like a child?, why …, why …why…???
Children never ever like, to be compared or to be told that, what they are doing is not
the way we did in our times, especially when it is told in a negative way and not as an appreciation. We have to understand as parents, that our kids are not living in those times, then why do they need to do things as it was done at that time!! Or as we did. They are separate individuals not our Xerox copies. They have their own strengths and have much more exposure, so let them try their own methods and succeed in their endeavors.
Why can’t we do away with the conventional methods of parenting and try to at least
REDUCE the generation gap if not REMOVE it.
Can we really do that? Is it really possible? Of course! Why not!!
Certain things have to be kept in mind :- We have to STOP BEING JUDGEMENTAL, we don’t have to be AUTHORITATIVE rather we should be FRIENDLY, we have to give them RESPONSIBILITIES according to their capacities we have to give REASONS for our disapprovals, we need to APPRECIATE their smallest achievements, we don’t have to CRITICIZE their shortcomings or mistakes,we don’t have to FORCE them to follow what we say, rather we have to GUIDE them and MENTOR them about right or wrong, we should LISTEN to understand and not just to REACT , we should be always ready to LEARN from them, since they are the new generation ,more exposed to technology and also aware of the latest trends. Mind you, they are the future and we are on the verge of becoming the past, so better, let us accept them, respect them and become their companions.
“You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you, for life goes forward not backward.”
Mrs. Arti Bhatia
(Counsellor and Language trainer)
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