Is the word parenting a new coinage?
Parenting is a process of promoting and supporting,the physical, emotional,social , intellectual development of a child from chid to adult hood.Is it then an employment?Is it an occupation?Is it a duty?Recently, it has become a course of study.Unassumingly, I am reminded of a quote.
“Some people are born great, some have greatness thrusted on them, some achieve greatness”
My reference of this quote to parenting , may appear irrelevant.But why such a recollection buzzed my mind ,when I thought of the topic? I know not.
Parenting is an impregnate word ,carrying with it fine feelings yet having deviating principles.,intrinsic values yet promoting discreet functions, great responsibilities yet propounding varied faith.
Parenting is a duty of every biological parent.Begetting a chid is a wonderful experience. Raising a child is an absorbing strain, which will have both a pleasurable elation and a discouraging depression. Coping with the tedious analogies ,which besiege the mental balance, which exhaust the physical equilibrium,which render a thorough obsession,is a difficult operation.
Business can be learnt. Right decisions or wrong moves affect financial gains. The congeniality of the market, the upward and the downward trend , the fluctuations, can be mastered by applying the mind on the effective starts, analysing the data, and working accordingly. On the contrary ,parenting is a subject which needs patience, timely interventions,sharp wit, concealing certain dilutions, revealing certain concentrations.
An extrovert parenting , declares an outward show of affection . showering profuse kisses, praising the child sky high, giving whatever is desired, on one side. On the other, behaving savagely, scolding inhumanely, delivering beatings , condemning outrageously , retards the germination..It is like a plant shooting up, and then drooping. Ultimately there is no growth.
An introvert parenting,discloses nothing. There is no appreciation, no fault-finding, a dumb response to whatever situation, whether it be pleasant or deplorable. It is similar to a plant growing on own accord. If it sustains , it is because of nobody’s effort.. If it dies, again it is not due to anybody’s fault.There is a minimal chance of growth.
Now , how nurture a child?This question focuses on parenting. Parenting can be defined in short as care for a child. A child is like a rose. The queen of flowers has soft petals, and thorns . The softer side has to be treated with diligence. A slight rough act or a hurried move will thwart the beauty. Once ,deranged the is lost, rather the purpose is dead. The prickly part of the flower, is a warning ,which forebades any fretted onslaughts. If a slight inattentive push is hovered, then there is a gush of red blood with tears innumerable.
So ,a child is like a rose .Have a benign look, and a cryptic watch at the same time. Speak in a kindly note, and maintain discipline simultaneously. Provide best sources and deprive worst connections.Work coherently with the child. refrain from indulging in dispersive distractions, like smoking, drinking, gambling, and behaving atrociously. The young mind is an open register. It records unobtrusively that which happens around, that which is discussed in depth.
As the child grows, a slow withdrawal should be enforced by the parents. As a breast-fed child is weaned in stages, the parental monitoring should be minimised gradually. After the child crosses its teens, the supervision could be withheld. This lesson can be learnt from our co habitants-animals. They accomplish the task perfectly. The adult, is now free to get into the world. Such an adult , nourished with careful parenting is sure to succeed .
Parenting is an art.Mastering it is a craft. Excelling in it is an award.
Meenas Poems 