Crying Baby or Pressurized Parents?

There has been an irked debate going on - on the Viral Video of a small girl crying and the mother teaching her in a harsh way.

When I saw the video, I didn't find anything wrong....I guessed the mother was teaching and I presumed that the child would be very playful and would not be learning at all. Not a very difficult situation to understand. Not that I didn't feel bad for the baby, but I guess every mother knows what's best for her child. She is the mother after all!

Many of my friends didn't like the video followed by many cricketers who condemned it.

Some may see it as it is, some may see beyond.

I choose to see beyond!

I have personally been at that mother's place many a times. I am crazy about my daughter. I love her beyond any description of words. There has been times when I have been a little harsh, given a few slaps to make her learn.

If you really want to stop all these....it's better to question the right things!

• ·         Why so much pressure on parents to teach children, isn't school for teaching?
• ·         Why a mother, of all people, hitting her child for teaching small little things?

Because Boss, this is India and right from nursery, you have about three books to be done. And just in any case you don't learn at pace of the best student of the class, you are labelled!

Weak in studies, weak student, doesn't concentrate, no focus, very playful, you should take care, very bad attitude and what not!

Schools are no more Gurukul, it is a business centre. There are 30-40 kids in one class and one/two teachers handle the entire class. Now, the class run at the pace of the best child's learning speed. Everyone needs to gear up. Leave the best student, the teacher has a topic to teach in class, and Vrrooom! The topic is done. The question/answers are also done. Next topic please!

It is difficult for all the kids to understand any topic or as a matter of fact, learn 1 to 5 at same pace. Some pay attention, they learn! Some are extremely playful, they lag behind. So, what if they lag behind?

This::

• ·         There are reminders in the child's dairy that his performance is below average.
• ·         For the primary or high school children, there are extra classes in school...on a Saturday which is actually a non-working day for the kids.
• ·         Worst of worst, children are divided into sections according to their ranks. The best ones or the cream students, as they are called, in section A and the "weak students" in section D/E/F(last one).

Can you even imagine the moral of a student who is in section D/E/F?  They know that entire school knows that they are weak students. These kids know that it's just not their parents who know that they are weak in studies, but every every parent has a easy way to find that out.

Random Uncle: Beta, tum kis section mein ho?

Child: Uncle, E!

Random uncle gives a degrading-sadistic look and says, "hmmmm, arre beta kabhi kabhi padh bhi liya karo!"

Trust me on this, it all happens!

It doesn't ends there. No no! There is much more to this - the syllabus....Oh myyyy God!

Can you just can't imagine a child who is 5, who doesn't know how to clean his own potty, is learning *@&%!*  FRENCH in school.

Common.........common!

My own niece and nephew are in standard 1, and looking at their syllabus, I feel, they will be 10-board-ready by next year. No, I am not kidding! These kids come back from school, eat and when they are about to finish their lunch, their tuition teacher comes. There is so much homework from school or there is test every Wednesday or some exam or competition, that they have to study for hours, after school. By the time they are done, it is already 7 PM. Eat, sleep and repeat. Really! 

In this race, if a mother is hitting her child to teach, is she wrong?

She is not, she can't be!

She is also scared, my child shouldn't be labelled. My child has all the capability then why will she be labelled. Same goes for me or for my didi or bhabhi or for any lady who yells, hits, pressurizes her child to put more focus on study.

If you really want to question.....don't go at the teaching style, please see the back drop!

Hope you leave the mother daughter video and end this debate. Hope you start the new one - Why so much pressure Boss? Bache hai, ease it out!

Abbu and Dabbu and Masti ki Pathshala

India has started dividing itself on basis of a new found category - English. Yes, those who speak in English and those who don't! Anyone, rich or poor, male or female, big or small, if they speak in English, they are looked up and are highly respected for the same. And why not, they know the language - jho anrgez bolte the.

My parents are doctors and they hate the fact that I am a at-home mom. According to their thinking, you can always outsource your responsibilities and do something worth your education and you must earn your bread. It keeps you as tall as your husband. True. Isn't it! Unfortunately, I am still finding out a way to outsource my responsibilities, back of my mind I always feel the push to do more.

No doubt on the fact that my parents are really upset about this fact, but one day they heard me talking, to whom I don't remember but the language of communication was - English. Their whole perspective about me changed that very day. They started giving me a little more bhav, just for the reason, that I knew how to speak fluent English. Suddenly after that day, they understood my issues. They started helping me to sort them. (English came to my rescue!)

Well, trust me, English is a turning point. At least, for us, Indians, it is a big deal if anyone speaks in good English. This is why there are many...many flourishing "Spoken English Coaching Centres." Trust me, they are minting money by teaching this language, English.

So getting back at me, one day my house help came and told me, she wants to buy an iPhone, no really! The day she mentioned it, I was shocked. I even blogged about the same. Now, of course, she didn't buy an iPhone, but she bought a Smartphone. The very next day she came and told me, "Didi, mera ek sapna pura ho gaya, ek bada phone le liya. Ab dusra sapna pura karna hai!"

I asked, "Aur dusra spana hai kya?"

She said, "English mein baat karni hai, iss phone se. Sabhi se!"

And she laughed and laughed. I smiled and said, "Tho chalo, Hum sikha dete hai"

She said, "Jub aap free hote tho main nai, aur jub main free hoti hu tub aap nai"

I said "Baat tho sahi hai. Chalo thik hai koi rasta nikalnege. Abhi pehele sapne ko enjoy karo."

She had a big smile and went to do her work.

Then I came across - Masti ki Pathshala. The best part is, actually there are many best parts...let me explain::

  1)     No fixed timings - you can learn as per your time convenience.

  2)     You can learn from the scratch - from how to greet others and so on.

  3)     The technique to teach is quiet innovative - Two cute kids Abbu's and Dabbu's image is formed in your mind and with their help, you learn how to speak in English.

  4)     You can go back, go forward or do a repeat, as per your pace of learning.

  5) Vidya Balan is teaching you man!!!

  6) You just need to give missed call to - Nihar Shanti Amla’s Pathshala Funwala’s toll free number 8055667788 and they call you back....almost immediately.

The best part is - IT IS FOR FREE.

What else, I guess my house help will pukka call me soon and say, "Didi, I am not coming today. I am not feeling well, you see! See you, bye didi!"

P.S.: And then she will smile broooadddlllyyyyy and do I tell my state? Phew!

“I am blogging about Pathshala Funwala by Nihar Shanti Amla Oil in association with BlogAdda”

Not Made in China

There have been a whole lot of articles and a lot of memes - on not using Chinese products, on how are army is being targeted by them and how if we don't use Chinese product, they will be at total loss.

Well, I really got affected by a few blogs and decided that I will, henceforth, not buy anything where it is written "Made in China". In all my small and big decisions, my partner in crime is - my daughter. She also promised not to buy any toy which is made in China.

Yesterday, I went to "Star Bazaar" and had to buy a toy gift for a little girl's birthday. The entire toy section had products marked "Made in China". I was about to take one...when my daughter reminded me...We are not taking China-Made products, right!

Right!

Just wondering - Why do these hypermarket keep "made in China" products? Of course, there are many products which are China-made - like phones, toy, plastics, shoes, electric appliances and about everything we can think of. But has the Chinese product penetrated so much that we can't take a back seat?

Thinking loud -

Why only customers need to take a step back, of course GOI can't due to world politics and all but for the hypermarkets are looking for only profits? Can't they stop taking in these products?

I know of one toy shop which has stopped getting all the Chinese products. It is running fine. Why can't hypermarkets, as their Corporate social responsibility, boycott these Chinese product?

I have made my contribution by not buying any Chinese product, now it's everybody's turn. Let's do it!