About ten years ago, my husband and I were fighting infertility. Desperately trying numerous invasive, painful and exorbitant methods to achieve parenthood.
I wish we had rather
consulted a Fortune Teller. Someone who would have looked into a crystal ball
and shown us our future- 10 years from then.
Alas, I did nothing of
that sort. Trashing medics I embraced motherhood with a miracle conception,
unaware of what lay ahead- The year 2020 and counting….
The Coronavirus pandemic has taken our world by storm. Lockdowns
have come and gone, but for me, the Lockdown continues… We must keep ourselves
locked in with our kids who are still confined mostly within the walls of the
home or any space that “we” inhabit. As an Indian mother of two, I am still
scared of the virus. I cannot send my kids anywhere unattended and without a
chaperone. It is the second academic year wherein the kids attend school from
home… and God bless me that I haven’t murdered one of them yet!!
My sense of being and perception has altered. I can hardly
identify with this current scenario. Childhood memories of the school to me are
those of a sense of belonging. I loved my school premises, our uniform, badge,
and my school culture. I still remember the way my favourite teacher Mrs,
Baijal smiled and ruffled our heads. Today, all of that is lost. My kid could
be in any school- it does not matter too much in an online platform. The
teacher appears on Zoom and is a mere face and a voice. Albeit, a pleasant one
with an incredibly polite voice. Every child’s comment/answer is met with a “Super”
or an “Awesome", response by the teacher. If they are so awesome, do they
need to learn??? No one is rude or admonishing to our children anymore. The
teachers are on their best behavior as parents can hear every word. As a
result, we have a new breed of Brats.
These Brats loudly interrupt the ongoing class and say “Ma’am”
it’s time up!” They chat online - writing notes to each other, while the class
is on. Even better, after attendance the video is conveniently switched off and
the child is off to do ‘the big job”. “It’s okay, Ma, chill. I’ll just watch
the class video recording!” They tell me as I look aghast!
Google provides
answers and lifesaving advice on everything – while parents and teachers are
merely around as providers of food, clothes, and certificates, I guess.
I know that this phase too will pass and eventually schools will
reopen. I am just unhappy as my young kids have lost their childhood and
innocence in these 2 years. They are always around us- their parents and have
thus, infiltrated our world. There is no demarcation between the Adult’s and a
Child’s world anymore. They know when the parents are busy, how they work, what
goes on in their minds and can read them.
I find myself
ill-equipped to deal with these “mini-adults”. They have email accounts, computer
proficiency, can download programs, and also hack passwords!! They have
developed a lack of respect for authority and demand an explanation for every
instruction. “Why must I brush my teeth every night?”
If I had asked my mom
this a tight rap would have just been the answer. Not anymore… Of course, they
get raps, but that too must be justified. “Why did u slap me?” Phew!
The Value System that we grew up with- Honesty, Hard work, and
Perfection don't hold anymore. Information is available at the tip of our
fingers. Just swipe you have it. Hard work is overrated. The bare minimum of
effort seems to be enough. What are the skill sets that I must provide my kids
to equip them for the future? They are not focused. The options they have are
innumerable. A strange fear overcomes me as I think about it. The world that
this generation is going to step into is unknown.
Young kids are
successful entrepreneurs today. They have stock portfolios and are coding
experts. What would these kids aspire to grow up to be? Will they completely
fizzle off by the time they reach 35?
Confidence and self-worth need to be the basis of this generation.
With Super achievers and billionaires all around, only the mentally strong will
survive. Guess I shall love my kids unconditionally, hoping that they will be
strong at heart and mind as they Step into this Unknown World.
