One tight Slap
The other day, I noticed wify reading a book on Parenting.
I have a smug, disdainful and arrogant approach towards "Self Help" books in general; but did not confront her with her choice of books ' simply to avoid an unnecessary argument.
Remember the good old ways our parents brought us up? I am not too sure they read any such books, and we were brought up fairly well and we did grow up to become fairly responsible citizens. I am proud to say that I vote, pay my taxes, don't offer bribes (no one believes it!) ' Still have managed to find myself a fairly easy and comfortable lifestyle.
Parenting is a simple thing, really ' just like life. We just love making it sound complex.
Some say my approach is simplistic. But it works in most cases, where is does not work ' it won't work anyways. A gone case is a gone case.
The way me and my brother were brought up was simple. Parents would generally allow me a lot of freedom to whatever we wanted to do. Play when we wanted to, study when we wanted to. They told us stories. Panchatantra and Jataka tales. They told us about animals, people, cultures, civilizations. And they listen to us.
I didn’t need to watch
This is what is called “character building” now a days - a hot buzzword.
There were only a few basic, easy-to-follow rules and they were absolutely sacrosanct. No concessions allowed on them.
In case we cribbed and tried to create a nuisance, we were firmly told to stop. In rare cased when we did not relent; one tight slap was all that was needed to put us back firmly in place.
Yes I am simplistic and probably out of tune.
The Bob Dylan song goes The Times They Are A-Changin’.
Surely they are.
