Yesterday
was celebrated as Children’s day across the country, and for most kids like Abhay, it was a
class-free and a uniform-free school day, with many fun activities and events organized
to make them feel special, including customized cards from his class teacher. While
all this is sweet and admirable on the part of the school, it is also true
that the present generation of urban children is a pampered lot and seems to
have everything that they want and we parents seem to be more than eager to let
them have everything they want! Well, it’s not as if we were a deprived lot,
but growing up in the eighties and nineties meant measured expenditure and
expectations whereas today’s kids seem to have wish lists that don’t end at all!
So much so that they even develop a sense of entitlement over anything and
everything they set their eyes on! It is the same sense of entitlement that
prompted Abhay to ask for a children’s day gift from his maternal grandma, when
just a day ago she got a bagful of gifts and knick-knacks from her recent Himachal
Pradesh trip! Of course, a gentle reminder of the same is all it took to make
him understand, but it made me wonder if we are overdoing it as parents. In our
effort to provide the best for our kids, we may run the risk of having them fail to realize that nothing comes easy. So, just as we question the need to celebrate
Mothers' day and Fathers' day……do we need a Children’s day and with our lives
revolving around our children every day ....Children’s day is every other day...isn't it?? J
Every year
during Children’s day, Abhay somehow manages to extract a gift out of us (read
his father!). This time however, anticipating that his request may not be
honoured, our nine year old cleverly hinted at a card or a handmade present. As
incorrigible as parents (read father!) that we are and as crazy about scrap-booking
that we are ( well..both of us!), we put together a little handcrafted piece of memory file on the
lines of a scrapbook ……that is more for
us to cherish this gift-greedy phase of Abhay's childhood (which we hope he will
soon outgrow!)
Abhay of
course was super thrilled to receive it and here’s hoping he realizes the value
and sentiment behind it and understands that life is more than just gifts and
treats! What better way to spend Children’s day than to begin reading “Reignite - Scientific Pathways to a Brighter
Future” by the former President of India, Late Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam, whose life is a true inspiration. It is no secret that the People’s President, as he was
popularly known, was extremely fond of interacting with children and the youth
and this book can be called as his parting gift to children! Of course, we have only embarked on this reading
adventure as it can be a lot for young reader to take in at one go.
Co-written
with Srijan Pal Singh, Late Dr.A.P.J Abdul Kalam renders a unique “insider”
perspective to various cutting edge fields in science and technology like
robotics, aeronautics, neurosciences, pathology and material sciences to
children, should they desire to pursue the same as careers. The book not only offers
exhaustive information on diverse niche career opportunities opening up in the field of science
and technology, but is presented in an interesting format packed with “anecdotes, conversations,
experiments, exercises and even helpful tips and inputs from leading scientists
in the field and a note to parents in each section. Narrated in a style characteristic
to the late former President, including an oath to be taken by aspiring palaeontologist,
or neuroscientist, or pathologist, etc, the book goes on to explain these new and developing areas to children and adults alike,
without oversimplifying the same. However, the book does not just stop with enlightening
the readers about science, but seeks to inspire young minds into realizing what
it takes to become a scientist or pursue a passion or tirelessly work towards a
goal. Whether one intends to pursue a career in science or not, this is a great
book for kids and young adults to learn and reflect on the choices ahead of
them, the ideals and values that will help achieve them and ignite not only their
future but the future of our world!
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