There is scarcely any parent who does not like their children. But their way of expressing their love for children will be different and subjective. Many parents are so eager to buy whatever their children ask for; they would say ‘yes’ to all the whims and fancies of their children. Some parents buy smartphones and tablets even for toddlers. They think expression of love consists in buying expensive toys and junk foods for their children.
But, we need to reconsider this notion. Is it for these things that our children really desire? Are these things their true requirements? Although they may require these expensive gadgets and other things when they grow up, they do not really need these things when they are young, which is actually the stage of their character formation. What they actually need is the presence of their parents. It is as vital to them in various stages of their life as a sucking baby needs its mother’s presence.
Hence, what we really need to give to our children is not mobile phones or laptops or tablets, but our time. Unfortunately, majority of parents are working and are leading a hectic life. They bring home all the tensions of their workplace and even after reaching home they continue to be busy. So, they do not get time to spend with their children. They may not be doing it consciously; the sufferers are the children.
Every child desires to spend time with his or her mother or father and engage in some sort of entertainment with them. The sad truth is that the parents of our generation are busier than ever with their office work, household tasks, WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. Hence, they do not have the patience to listen to their children. Think about the time when your child approached you to share his experiences in his school or school bus, when you were tensed with something. Most often, you would respond very rudely to your child and break his / her heart. How impatiently some mothers are behaving towards their sons and daughters!
From a child’s perspective, he or she is seeing their parents spending a lot of their time browsing their mobile phones. In some cases, the parents would be doing their work on their mobiles. But, the children may not understand it. Naturally, the children also will become addicted to WhatsApp, Instagram and Facebook. If you complain that your child does not eat food unless he or she is allowed to browse the mobile phone or watch cartoon channels, you should dare to do a self-examination. In fact, you are responsible for inculcating such a habit in your child.
If both the parents are working, one of them must definitely spare some time to listen to their child. The father or mother should set apart some time to play with their children. This will help to strengthen the bond between parents and children. Often, the reason why children go astray and fall into danger is that they do not have anyone in their home to listen to them.
It is not a bad thing to make them happy by presenting them gifts. At the same time, never forget to gift them your time. During that time, set aside your smartphones and laptops and be with your children wholly. Give ear to their sharing and feelings. Engage in some entertainment with them. Hug them, appreciate them and express your love. The time you spend with your child will never go in vain. It is a great investment for their future. So, never forget to invest your time for them along with your bank balance and assets.
