Television abounds in programmes with children - dance shows, music shows and even serials with children as protagonists. Watch a children’s reality dance show. The chances are that instead of impressing, one will feel disgusted with the adult expressions and obscene dance steps of the little children in the course of the show. When the results are announced, the tension on their faces is palpable and one feels for those children, who at such a tender age, have already entered the adult world leaving their childhood behind.   Who is to blame? Of course, the media which exhibit these shows in the name of promoting young talent and the audience which loves these shows and loves controversies in them even better. But the primary blame rests squarely on the shoulders of the parents. Eager to watch their children on television, eager to exhibit the talents (whether they exist or not) of their offspring, they push them too hard into singing, dancing or acting. Pursuing these as hobbies is fine and to a certain extent necessary for the all round development of the child. But it is alarming to see the extent of expectations the parents have from their child. One even gets to see parents quarrel with the judges if their child loses out, setting a fine example indeed for their children. And the media shamelessly telecasts such appalling behavior, TRPs being the reason. The finer points of participating, competing fairly, putting in your best efforts and being graceful losers are lost. At a very young age, the child learns that winning is all that counts.    In the previous generation, parents laid great stress on the academic performance of the child. Other activities did not receive much encouragement. This built up undue pressure on the children to do well in school even if the subjects they were studying did not hold their interest at all. This state of affairs was bad enough, but today things are even worse. Doing well in your exams is of course a must. Other than this, the child should not only take part in several other activities be it drawing, swimming, chess or tennis but also should excel in all of them.Parents keep comparing … [Read more...]