Enlightening Parenting
Imagine going for childbirth and the hospital returning you saying, “You are not qualified”. It’s actually quite funny that we get the responsible occupation of parenting, for more than twenty years, without any qualification or any selection criteria. And if we are doing a bad job of it, we aren’t even fired from it! I was mighty amused by a cartoon strip of Calvin and Hobbes, where Calvin queries his parents, “What assurance do you have that your parenting isn’t screwing me up?”
Do we stop often and assess ourselves and our performance as parents? Have we even defined what is our role as a parent, what are our expectation from ourselves and how will we judge our performance?
Have we thought what is parenting? Is it to tell, teach, control, administer and discipline the child? Is it to constantly agree with their demands, let them have fun, only look after their heart's wish?
Does being a parent means to be an authority figure or to be a love goddess? Perhaps neither. Does parenting mean doing something to our children so that they become wonderful adults?
Is parenting about our children or about ME? The biggest trap, according to me, is to consider that we have a lump of clay in our hands, which we have to mould. What naturally follow are expectations, aspirations, control and discipline. And we get into the perpetual state of controlling their life.
Let me propose the concept of Enlightening Parenting – inspired by our humble Diya (The lamp). Diya lights up our life, it surrounds us with enlightenment. It shows without pointing. It doesn’t try to change us, but illuminates, both the good deeds, as well as the bad.
It doesn’t push us, rather goes with us. It doesn’t put any expectations on us, yet lightens our path, no matter which we choose. It is there always (the assurance), but almost never interferes. It is silent, but listens to all our words and feelings.
While one would not like to make such a judgment, but there is something like BEST parenting. One in which we, instead of trying to change the child, look at changing ourselves – be it our own practices, our habits, our attitudes, our focus, our tempers, our strengths, our weaknesses, and our priorities.
How can it be possible for us to change our children to make them reach where they want? (unless you think YOU should decide where they should reach). Can we change ourselves in such a way that we always fill the child’s life with illumination worthy for his or her growth?
Isn’t the only way a child can become self-disciplined is when we stop disciplining him? How can a child change if he hasn’t seen you changing? Instead of being a source of perspiration, why don’t we become a source of inspiration?
Enlightening parenting yearns to provide children the light in which they decide what is expected from themselves, they set up their aspirations, they are self controlled and they are self disciplined, are self motivated and move towards becoming a SELF worthy to become another illuminating lamp in this world.
Imagine how deafening all these crackers and bombs are during Diwali. Check out if your child goes through the same fireworks throughout the year? This Diwali lets resolve to switch our role to be a Diya and adapt, change and strengthen our flame to inspire, enlighten and spark the lives of our children. Isn’t that the best parenting?
By Ratnesh & Aditi Mathur
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