Archives

Mini Nair

Reading – cultivate the habit!

Reading – cultivate the habit! Recently I came across a cartoon strip where two mothers were sitting on a bench with their kids. One pair had a mobile in their hand while the other had a book. The ‘mobile’ mother was curious to know how the ‘book’ mother could make her child read. It was hilarious but a thought-provoking one. A child always tries to emulate what their parent does. It may be some actions, words or habits. If a parent is always angry, don’t expect the child to be happy and carefree. They also express their emotions through anger. A parent who uses abusive words should not expect that the child will not catch on the words. A child will bring out those words while they have a difference of opinion with anyone. It can be in school, in a family gathering or some other place where it is least expected. Then the parent tries to cover it up by beating up the child in front of people. They don’t realize that it is they who are responsible for such action. I have come across many people who wonder about how much I read. They comment – ‘As soon as I touch a book I feel sleepy’, ‘I cannot read such big books yaar, it’s so boring’, ‘How can you finish such an enormous book so soon??’ And I wonder how? That strip made me realize that it’s my mother who had cultivated the habit of reading in me. And I am passing on this beautiful habit to my daughter. My mother used to be so engrossed in the book that she was reading that we could get away with anything during that time. We could ask for permission for anything and she used to say mmmmmm. And then it was only after she came out of the ‘trance’ of reading that she realizes she had given us a ‘yes’ instead of ‘no’. But jokes apart, if you read, you develop yourself. It is rightly said, ‘a book takes us to different worlds sitting in one place’. Your vocabulary, diction, understanding, and so forth develop when you are in constant touch with books. I was not so fortunate to go to an excellent school where English was cultivated, but my habit of reading helped me a long way in overcoming my shortcomings of English. So parents, develop habits which you will be proud to see in your child. Read or try to inculcate the habit of reading in your child. It takes time, but it is worth that while.

Mrs Swetha Pai

DARE TO BE DIFFERENT: KINDER, EMPATHETIC -WORLD NEEDS YOU!!!

Well, I ended up taking a book “Wonder” by R.J Palacio. Before I left work read just 5 pages and I was hungry to read more. During my train travel read and kept on doing the same in my rick ride home….. Had a break as my little munchkin was waiting for me. After I played and put her to sleep again ended up reading with a flashlight (an old habit that is too good to let go off) as I was way too captivated to stop…. I shared my excitement with the first class I got on Monday ie 7D and guess what? Most kids were asking for that book to issue I got to know. It is amazing how a book can change your perspective in so many ways and make you more positive again. I realized after reading the book that there is an August (Auggie) around us maybe not the one described in the book. We are all flawed humans with so many defects and at times we are ashamed of it when people judge us with that in mind only, A Charlotte – who wants to do good and never wants to get in no one’s bad books, A Jack Will- who does wrong and tries to right it, A Julian who has no remorse of his wrong doings but later regrets…. All these kids had a story. There was a teacher who inspired them, a head who believed in them, some parents in it who knew what the kid was going through…. My conclusion is if Inclusion of education is to happen then we have to be kinder than necessary…. That is how inclusion can happen…. Like the books says “when ” YOU CAN’T BLEND IN WHEN YOU WERE BORN TO STAND OUT!!!” Why don’t we stand to be kinder, a little more understanding, a little more caring than necessary so humanity doesn’t die off……? I definitely recommend this book to all dealing with children directly or indirectly.

Shruti P.

Freedom is the spice of life

This month India celebrates its 73rd Independence Day. A big day for the nation because freedom is what has brought us all the prosperity, position and recognition as a power in the making. While we rejoice and celebrate our independence as a nation, I would want to draw attention to individual freedom. Adolescents value freedom much more than people of other ages. They want to assert their individuality and it is them to whom I direct my question, “What is freedom?” “Is freedom anything else than the right to live as we wish? Nothing else.” said Epictetus and perhaps most would agree with him but to me this is not freedom. I feel freedom is neither a pursuit for happiness without restriction, nor is it a license to do what one wishes. Freedom goes hand in hand with great responsibility and discipline of the self. It does not mean to do as you please but to do what is right and not be cowed down by the forces around, be it society, family or friends. To me it means to break every shackle that one feels is holding him/her back from achieving his/her goals. To be free means to be able to discipline ones mind, embrace responsibility, and be righteous. To be free means to be ready to take decisions on your own and being responsible for them and not to blame others if they go wrong. To be free means to think of your actions before taking the leap and check if it is driven by selfishness or self-respect and self-reliance. Mahatma Gandhi had said, “Freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.” I totally agree with him but it should also include learning from those mistakes and to become better than what one already is. Freedom also means to be free from selfish desires and a wish to pull others down. Such a behaviour would only make one small. Freedom is a tool one should use to explore, experience, and evolve to be more human and to help another fellow being rise in life. To be free means to achieve such greatness that you help the fellow human beings to free themselves from their bondage and become the reason for their liberty. To me true freedom is what Nelson Mandela said, “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.”