At a shopping mall I came across a little boy throwing
tantrums, driving his parents crazy. Reason: he wanted them to buy toys and was too impatient to wait till they finished their shopping. The parents
were quite embarrassed by all the attention they received from fellow shoppers. Some flashed a smile
saying "Naughty Boy" and a few murmured “Spoilt Brat!". The
parents were left with no choice but to head to the nearest toy store.
Parents today do their best to provide everything their child asks
for. They want to keep their children happy and fulfill all their wishes.
"I don't want my child to regret that I did not fulfill all his wishes
when he grows up." said one the parent, when I questioned her about the
necessity of catering to a child's demand. “Children today do not listen to us;
their terrible tantrums at public places compel us to listen to them." confessed another.
We love our children and do not want to break their heart; but it
is very important to help them distinguish between wants and needs. The focus
is not just about teaching them the value of money or being economical but
helping them acknowledge the efforts parents put in to meet all their demands
and bring on a sense of respect for what they have. It is so important to
instill a sense of gratitude in them.
In the long run, this will not
only help them get their priorities right but also benefit them with a realistic
perspective; enabling them to embrace life with a positive spirit.
As Franklin D. Roosevelt quotes about parenting: “We cannot always build the future
for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”
