Parenting now and then; is a common topic of discussion when parents of two generation meet. Parents groom the children to attain certain goals. They want their children to be social, good at sports, academically excellent and gifted artist. Parents plan the course of the kid’s life with activities and classes that will nurture them to reach the goal. Parent of 80’s and 90’s say that when they were children they just grew up like plants and trees; now our children are nurtured, with nutritions and skills, so that they have the right kind of growth. Read this post about introducing wife as ‘The wife’.
This is an age of abundance, and people want to hoard everything and gear up for an uncertain future when thing can go really wrong. May be the doomsday will happen, or a deluge, or global warming may destroy the earth, or maybe there will be war for water. Parenting now and then has a wide gap.
My parents had short term goal, they saved to buy a cot, or a television, or a house. Now I have everything, what I want to make sure is that these comforts remain forever. All the ‘how to’ articles give some tips to make a better tomorrow.
Here are a few of parenting now and then – ‘Then’ (of 80’s & 90’s) and ‘Now’ (of the present time). Difference is how our parents lived their lives and how we plan our lives now:
Then – They spent all their earning to sent the children to the best school they can afford. They gave the children the same food they ate. The children played outside the house when they were not studying. Children participated in school and community cultural programs without any formal training.
Now – Now also parents sent children to the costliest school, but they make sure that the children get all round development. Children are given special diet supplement, fruits and vitamins, that will ensure proper growth. The timing of the study, play and other activity is set in advance. The children are encouraged to use play-way method games so that their play time is also utilized for education. Regular Coaching classes are given for sports and music. Children participate in all the competition in a very professional manner.
Then – They just wanted one dream house in any one part of the world.
Now – People buy apartments and plots is different parts of the world as part of investment. Many houses means you can change the residence according to the favourable condition of the place.
Then – Mother did all the cooking, whether for school, office, home or a party. There was a strict food regime; biscuits and chocolate were a treat once in a blue moon.
Now – You can even get home delivered kid’s school lunch box. Most of the nutritions are acquired from processed food like corn flakes, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, milk supplements and tetra packed fruit juices. Biscuits and ice creams are so common that children have choices of their brands and flavours.
Parenting now and then dynamically differ. Now there is a branding is all the activities, while then parents followed traditional methods and took advice from elders.
Whatever may be the methods of parenting now and then, nature has given us a parents instinct to nurture our kids. Rely more on our instincts to groom the children.
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