This post is a part of the 1001 Gifts Activity by HDFC Life in association with BlogAdda
I)
My Extra Time
When you really listen to another person
from their point of view, and reflect back to them that understanding, it's
like giving them emotional oxygen.
-Stephen Covey
What
better can we gift children than our time, a listening ear and emotional
support. Emotionally unfulfilled childhood can never lead to a healthy mindset
in life. Most of the people with personality aberrations are those who have had
abnormal and disturbed childhoods. A child is dependent on someone, is innocent
about most of the things and trusts people easily; it becomes our
responsibility to give him/her positive impressions and to safeguard him/her
from CSA (Child-Sexual-Abuse) and child-predators. Hence, I will make sure that
I give quality time, emotional support and an open environment to the child.
People have different emotional levels.
Especially, when you're young.
-Bob Dylan
Many
of my friends have been the ‘latch-key kids’, a term for children
of working parents who keep a separate key and manage everything alone after
coming from school. A friend told me how he would come from school, warm the
already cooked food, change and leave for tuitions. In the evening, his tired
parents would have almost no time for him. This thing has now created a wall
between them. My friend has become emotionally detached, has got a life of his
own and does not bother much for the parents, and feels it’s a sort of tit for
tat. Absence of parents on emotional front can create a deep void, impossible
to be filled later.
II)
Pets
Compassion for animals is intimately associated with goodness of character, and it may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man.
-Arthur Schopenhauer, ‘The Basis of Morality’
III) Languages
The conquest of
learning is achieved through the knowledge of languages.
-Roger Bacon, ‘The
Opus Majus of Roger Bacon’
The
time, effort and money spent in learning an extra language(s) can never go
waste. In these times of ever increasing communication and travelling, every
professional has become a globe trotter. Therefore, knowing even a single extra
language will vastly add to the knowledge of the child. Also, another most
important reason is that, learning a language opens up the doors of its
literature thus elevating the intellectual standards. Armed with the knowledge of
other languages, he/she will be able to fully exploit the global opportunities
coming in way.
IV)
Self-Defense Training
क्षमा शोभती उस भुजंग को जिसके पास गरल हो
उसको क्या जो विषहीन विनीत सरल हो
- शक्ति और क्षमा
These
famous lines from the poem ‘Shakti Aur Kshama’ by the famous Hindi poet
Ramdhaari Singh ‘Dinkar’ describe how only the strong have a power to forgive. Self-defense
which is all about physical and mental toughness is usually perceived as the
art of beating the other person to pulp or something to impress girls. In fact
it is one of the most misunderstood arts in the world. Self-defense means making
oneself strong enough that if adverse conditions arrive, one can save his/her
and others’ lives.
A
timid and a pessimistic personality is indeed a curse in this world where only
power rules. A lot of children are bullied in schools, buses and social groups
and unfortunately take that bullying lying down, hoping that the bully will
leave once he gets bored. This can work once or twice; I feel strongly hitting
back is required to make sure that no one can take the child for granted. In
severe cases, if required, the parents may intervene sometimes. Saving a child
from being bullied and inculcating an innate sense of self-confidence and dignity
is like making a strong foundation.
Recently,
a girl saved herself from getting raped with this art. Not just boys, but girls
too, should learn this holistic art that not only makes the body strong and tough
but is also very calming for the mind. I once saw on NG Channel about a man in Thailand
whose brother was murdered brutally. To avenge his death that man learned ‘Muay-Thai’,
a martial art but by the time he became proficient in it, he was too clam and
positive to take revenge and instead, forgave the murderers’! Hence, self-defense
esp in today’s time seems more like a necessity. Actor Akshay Kumar credits his
success to his black belt training in Karate only!
The
child should be pulled out of his comfortable cocoon, be thrown out in the rain
and sun so that he emerges out a winner and as a more experienced person.
V) Secured Funds
V) Secured Funds
माता शत्रुः पिता वैरी,येन बालो न पाठितः।
(Parents who do not educate their children are like
enemies)
This
old Hindu ‘sholka’ describes the importance of education. Nothing can be
achieved without it and for that, we need funds, a lot of funds. Our loving
family, a fit body, culture and everything will be of no use if we do not have good
education and career, hence monetary aspects are important too. Money is what
keeps world going and people work only on incentives. Leaving everything on
fate is a sheer foolishness; after all everything is based on ‘give and take’. Planning
for future is the most important thing and taking in view the ever rising costs
and inflation, I will gift him/her a plan that keeps the future safe and can be
used in the time of need. I think, a policy like the ‘HDFC Young StarsPlans’ will be one of my most important gifts for a child.
There is a Persian saying that goes like
जिसके हाथ में हुनर, उसे मुफलिसी का क्या डर
(One who has a skill,
need not fear penury)
How
true! One must have a skill or art to keep his stove-fires burning even in
rough weather. We cannot always depend on one job or a business. A skill or art
will always be there in difficult times like, say, recession or financial
depressions. For acquiring such a skill, obviously, funds are needed; hence,
investing wisely in a policy becomes an essential part of the whole financial
planning for a safe future.
This post is a part
of the 1001
Gifts Activity by HDFC Life in association with BlogAdda.
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