A couple of days ago my mother was remembering her mother. She shared a number of instances bringing alive the era of the early 90s. Back then the number of siblings was never less than two. In some cases, they would be in double digits.
More than
nine kids around? A word best describes the scene at home – Chaos. Or complete
chaos?
Imagine the
youngest crying for food and eldest pleading for sound sleep. The relation of
the eldest with the youngest. The varied activities of every child - one
crawling or trying to walk, another in school and the eldest preparing for
higher studies. The early 90s as a parent seems mind-boggling. Though the
culture of joint family prevailed it seems there was never an end to raising
kids. As in the case of my grandparents, they had eight children, yes eight!
By the time
their youngest became a toddler the eldest became a parent. Which was then
followed by the rest of their children. My grandmom after raising her kids raised
her grandchildren. Back then women were so used to raising children that they
cherished every moment of being surrounded by kids. Raising them all.
While I
heard my mother one thought crossed my mind again and again. How did they
manage to raise them all? How did they manage to give each one time? How did
they instill values in them? How was the setup? What role did each family
member play? I wonder which algorithm worked back then?
My uncle
and aunties have many commonalities. Definitely, genes play a role but there is
something beyond it. They are also way too different but at the same time so
similar to one another, especially in batches. I mean children of an era shared
similar commonalities and differences when compared to their older or younger
batch. A batch includes children and grandchildren.
The day
came to an end with the same questions lingering in my mind. I picked up a book
to bed trying to figure out the secret magical formula of raising children. As
I opened the book to read (The Best Kept Secret) my son settled next to me with
a copy of Secret Seven.
Looking at him I remembered a famous quote –
“Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.”
I guess the algorithm is decoded. I surely have. While we can’t emphasize more the
importance of parent behavior with regards to impact on kids’ overall
development, we should also remember that…
…to be in your children’s memories tomorrow you have to be present in their lives today.
Today we
cherish the gift from the past, so will the generations to come.
#HappyParenting
#Leadership
#InfluencerBehaviour #GreatLeaders
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