Children these days might have to wait a few more years to enjoy freedom their parents had when they were young. Many parents believe that the world is more dangerous now than when they were growing up.
Parents, nowadays, are more concerned about their children´s safety. Most parents worry about strangers and they fear that their minors may be bullied, mugged or even have road accidents. As a result, children´s most extra-curricular activities are curtailed or even scrapped.
30-year-old Bijina Bhandari says, “I wouldn´t want to restrict my son to go to school himself but the current situation of Kathmandu is very dangerous. So, I don´t let him go anywhere alone.” Bhandari works at Teaching Hospital, Maharajgunj, and is a proud mother of an eight-year-old son.
Children, however, don´t seem to know and care about unsafe situation outside and they don´t much like ´parental rules´ and their parents protectiveness.
11-year-old Avijit studies at Asha Boarding School in Sanepa and complains that his parents don´t even allow him to walk in the street alone any time.
“I´m big enough to walk by myself and am not going to get lost. So what´s the point in not letting me walk on my own? It´s not because they love me; it´s because they don´t trust me and don´t want to see me happy,” laments Avijit.
Many young people are afraid of possible consequences if they cross boundaries set by their parents, while others enjoy playing mischief.
In this competitive and financially difficult world, in most cases, both parents work and they admit their kids at hostels with a hope that they would get proper care, guidance, and quality education. But the young generation seems to take it as a punishment for defying their ´parents´ rules at home.
“Parental pressure and tough discipline may have negative impacts on young minds. In some cases, children may even start hating their own parents,” says Sewa Gurung, a Montessori teacher trainer from Jhamsikhel.
Event when children grow up and enter their late teens, there are certain house rules to be followed strictly, like coming home before the sunset, cleaning and tidying up their own rooms and helping with household chores. For parents, these tasks may seem simple but many teenagers wouldn´t like to get involved in such activities.
Similarly, there are other parents who do not allow their children to enjoy night outs with friends and some parents don´t even allow their children to use public transports.
“Parents impose such restrictions because they love their children,” defends Suman Giri, 32, who has an eight-year-old child.
There are others who support the view of Giri. “Parents always think good of their children. Some actions may seem rude to children but parents always try to become some kind of heroes,” says Ram Bahadur Karki, 37, proprietor of S D Furniture House, Lagankhel. According to Karki, his son Sudesh Karki complains to his maternal uncle that his parents are too strict and are very rude to him.
This sort of conflict is not only confined to parents and children. There are tussles among siblings as well. The eldest or elder kids want to take the helm and the younger ones don´t much like it. This creates misunderstanding.
Ironically, elder siblings who complained of lack of freedom and rights when they were young themselves, don´t let their younger siblings enjoy their freedom today.
Article Published in – Republica National Daily, August 17th 2010
