Gaming parlours, television and shopping malls have cast their net far and in my opinion, most parents in cities, lack creative ideas to engage and help kids grow. It annoys me to see 9 and 10 year olds whiling away their vacations on Facebook. The other extreme of endless tuitions is equally frustrating.
The post is not so much about my skills but about the places I took these kids to.
Nehru Planetarium, Taraporewala Aquarium and Juhu beach.
The amount of joy, awe and entertainment shot through the roof at Nehru Planetarium. The place offers much to pique a kid's curiosity. Hell, adults have been known to squirm with delight during the screening of space shows.
Aquarium, on the other hand, even though unclean and poorly maintained, managed to interest the kids.
Juhu beach is an easy bet and always saves the day.
And if everything else fails, the streets of Mumbai and the local trains are a fun way to spend your day.
Some of my most cherished memories of summer vacations are of my father driving us across the city or taking us on foot tours through the lanes of Mumbai. I don't think we missed visiting any major area of Mumbai. Infact, we had been to all of Mumbai. Come vacations and my brother and I made endless lists of must see places, with several repetitions over the years. My father never tired of revisiting these places, pointing at buildings or narrating special stories about various localities.
When Vashi and other regions in New Bombay grew, we made an excited visit to all railway stations on the harbour line and understood how and why they were better than the older railway stations
One of our most interesting trips was a night spent outside the international airport. We spotted every departing airplane through the holes in the boundary wall and learned about the faraway lands these airplanes took people to.
We are no longer kids and our family outings are not the same anymore. Yet, a lot of my early education happened through the sights and sounds of Mumbai.
Thanks to my parents, I was happy to put these memories to good use this year.
If your grand parents are alive today - go and give them a tight, non fatal hug.
Come Fridays and there used to be palpable excitement in the house. Tea time conversations, kitchen chatter and dinner table discussions - all invariably lead to "Who shall be ousted tonight?!"
I am referring to the recently concluded "Little Champs" (Zee) and "Voice Of India" (Star).
I did not get a chance to participate in the weekly excitement, anticipation and heartbreak. I started following both the shows at the fag end, when most participants had been voted out and the top 5 remained. Again, it was a half hearted participation since I am not much into television. However, for whatever I did watch, I came to enjoy the shows, their format, the spunk of the kids and the overwhelming crowds.
It was amazing to see how the whole nation gathered in their drawing rooms, kept glued to their idiot boxes, week after week, just to cheer the kids and participate in their happiness, how people spent millions on voting for their choices and how emotions erupted when a wrong verdict was given to their favorite candidates.
I stayed away from commenting on these shows while they were on - I needed some clarity and objectivity to see them for what they stood for.
Such musical competitions do a great service by bringing out the hidden talent brimming in most kids. Considering how much importance is accorded to "rote learning", sports and extra currics always end up getting step motherly treatment.
However, all said and done, I have always disapproved of public voting where kids are concerned.
It was heart wrenching to see little kids come on stage, sing, dance, laugh, crack jokes, entertain and finally be ousted by the dubious voting system.
Failure has a detrimental impact on most adults, leave alone kids. Most kids that participate, do it to showcase their talent, dance around, enjoy the love and adulation showered on them by the audiences and have some harmless fun. Guidance by judges should be enough to help them improve their "Surs & Taals". I do not think audiences should be allowed to vote and bring in their favorite candidates.
This, sometimes, leads to ouster of deserving candidates in favor of more charming dancers/entertainers.
What people fail to understand is that these are primarily, singing competitions and hence, the glam factor should not be given too much importance. Yes, street smart kids do win your hearts with their banter, but it should not replace the basic motive of holding such shows. All other kick ass moves apart, the focus should be on good singing and that alone !
I have also, always disliked the way these shows earn TRPs by showing kids crying copiously and promising their parents to do well the next time round. What needs to be communicated to these kids is that they all are winners in their own right ! No show on earth can take away their inner strength which helps them to face such huge crowds valiantly.
Public Voting in many cases might make the kids feel that they weren't good enough, that they have let down their loved ones, they aren't smart enough to win appreciation. Most of these kids fall into 5-14 age category and such a loss might make them feel worthless and affect their self confidence.
The role of parents too cannot be discounted. They need to steer clear of unrealistic expectations and provide the much required support to these vulnerable bodies.
One can only hope that such shows have in-house counselors who can help such kids cope with sudden stardom, sky rocketing expectations and unhealthy competition. Might sound as wishful thinking, but, given the general trend of wanting instant fame, it shall help bring respite to these gullible souls and keep them grounded.
