Proper Communication

Now-a-days people want innovation in everything they do every time. This seems to be a revolutionary idea, but should we consider everything done or said earlier as the repetition if followed or done again. There is another important word used by many people, thinking out of box. I agree that it can be applied with innovations because without that we shall not be able to progress and get new things. But we must not forget that all the old things or sayings were not bad or negative and all new things will not be necessarily good or positive. One thing which I would like everyone to ponder upon is the communication among people, especially students and teachers or children and their parents. This was very important in the past, is important in the present and will be important in future also and today I would like to dwell upon the same.

It is a common complaint from the parents and the teachers that the children of today do not have much time to interact with them. The children probably spend more time with their friends or on the electronic gadgets. Interestingly, the interaction with the parents was almost of the same quantum in the past also. The only difference was due to joint family system in which children had many opportunities to talk to other family members and their mother because the mother used to be a home maker. Now the families are mostly nuclear and there are not many family members with whom children can interact hence they have an inclination to be more close to their friends. Also the electronic gadgets available are in plenty, therefore it may be considered as an additional attraction causing gap between the parents and the teacher. The parents at the same time are increasingly becoming more demanding in terms of their child’s achievements not only in academics but also in other areas. There is an advertisement which depicts this situation so well in which a parent goes to a coach and asks him to teach his child all the skills possessed by many players, though these players did not have all the skills in them. Also the parents are very ambitious about their own progress and growth. I do not see anything wrong in the desire to progress but as I mentioned earlier, there are certain things which are always needed and important for the society and one of them is what I mentioned is communication. The parents need to communicate with their children properly. The importance of this should be realized and it should not be considered as wastage of time. If the parents and teachers remain in touch with the kids in an appropriate manner, then most of the problems of the day will be solved. Fortunately, many parents and teachers have realized the same and they are trying to balance between their jobs and family. In this situation also there are certain precautions to be taken by the parents and the teachers. The onslaught of the electronic media is so much that our children get confused and then the role of teachers and parents become more important. They must encourage the children to share all the things with them whether good or bad. The children should be confident that if they share something in confidence with their teacher or father/mother, it will be kept confidential. The parents and teachers should ensure that anything which the child did not want anybody else to know should not be disclosed at all. There are number of example which can be cited in this regard but I would discuss only a few of them.

 A girl was troubled by her friends for not having a friend from the opposite sex which she never felt that way and this girl was quite comfortable with all the students in the class, boys or the girls. But when this continues one day she asked her mother about the same and asked if she was inferior in any way? The mother being orthodox scolded her for talking about such issues. The child got confused further and when deprived of the hearing and the solution at home she confessed the same to her best friend. That girl did not give her a proper guidance and thought of asking her to have a ‘friend’ from the opposite sex. She got herself into a big trouble late and when the parents came to know, they were very angry with her. This situation could have easily been taken care of if the mother had paid attention to the queries of her daughter and would have suggested positive solutions. Another child was fond of cricket and became friendly to the people who used to remain involved in illegal activities like betting etc. He was lured by their secret talks and the parents of the child were unaware of the same. The parents did not pay attention to what their child was doing. He tried to share the difficulty with the parents but they did not understand the same. He was robbed of money and threatened and was at the verge of taking his life. When the parents came to know it was already late. Though the school teachers tried their best to help the child but some harm was already done. If the parents were more communicative with this child he would not have got into the mess he was in. Fortunately, the parents reacted to the situation in a positive way and things could be better for the child. Very recently a child shared with the father the problem she was facing with a boy. This was not a serious one but needed the attention of the parents and teachers. The father got furious and wanted to take every strong action against the boy which the girl did not find appropriate. Her concern was to share it with the parents and not really involve them at this stage. Now the girl says that she would never share any issues with her parents because it might lead to unnecessary problems. Everything shared by the children do not need reaction from the parents and the teachers but every issue should be heard by them sincerely and seriously. The confidence of the children should never be put at stake. The teachers and parents should appreciate the children for sharing their problems rather making them feel embarrassed in front of their friends and other people. I am not saying that the parents should only listen to the problems and not react. What I mean is, decide when and how to react. Take the child in confidence before you take any step as the reaction. And most importantly, many a times, not reacting at all proves to be a strong and appropriate action. Reaction may be important but listening to the children and interacting with them is more important than that. Be friendly to them and do not lose your patience even in the most awkward situation for the sake of your child. Remember and remind yourself as teachers and the parents that a child is the most important entity for you and treat him/her accordingly.