Everyone loses childhood while growing up but what’s different with our generation is that we lost it during childhood itself. We had to skip the childhood phase because there was no time. No time to play, no time to laze around, no time to flip through the pages of an encyclopaedia and no time to go to the local park. 

When I was in a playhouse or crèche as one year old, I graduated to Montessori by two and by three was already going to school on a strict time schedule. Five minutes late meant a strict finger moving side to side saying in a kind but firm voice, ‘You are late!’ 

It’s almost like we had to have the maturity of teenagers when we were five and now that we are teenagers we are expected to behave like a 25 year old. We hardly get promoted to class VIII and everyone keeps asking what you want to be, when most of us still haven’t decided what our favourite subject is.  Still remember we weren’t given time to like anything. We were pushed to be good at all subjects. And now some enthusiastic parents are actually getting their kids into institutions from class VIII to prepare for tests to be given after class XII. 

There was a time when all television channels had an early evening slot for children. So that kids returned from school could unwind, before spending the evening on school homework.  There would be cartoons, fun shows and even singing class shows. Now in most households the TV is occupied throughout the evening with grown-up soap operas. If a kid wants to offload after school he or she will end up watching ‘saas-bahu’ serials with the rest of the family.  This is considered so usual that children are the target group for commercials where they are shown deciding on which brand of a refrigerator or mosquito repellent or washing powder to buy. 

It shouldn’t be up to the younger members of the family to decide these things. Smart phones and computers are regular household stuff and young children often have unrestricted access to these devices. This has robbed them of the time to read books or play with toys.  There is an age when children can be introduced to the real world, which is full of violence, misleading advertisements, pretences much of which comes through the television. As a result children don’t grow up to be adults, rather they grow up as adults. 

The experience of blissfulness and innocence needs to be there for assurance that there is good in this world. Children should be given back their childhood, a nice one so that they never forget it.  It should be full of flying ponies, talking animals, body-suit-wearing super-heroes and friendly child gods. Children should be given their due happiness in a way that is better for them. So on this Children’s Day, we bid for a better future for child, as a period of life fondly to recollect upon.

By  Saronyo Lal Mukherjee

Coordinator, Class XI, South Point High School