Picture Courtesy: TrueParenting.net

Last Monday, after long and hectic college hours, I hurried my way home. The weather opposed my pace as it seemed lovely by being a little cloudy and a little windy. Spring had just started and the weather had become too hot during the day but the soft wind, and partly covered sky during the evening soothed my soul. I got carried away by the freshness which was spread around me. I was just about to clear my mind when this whole new thing occurred, and my mind was disturbed to the deepest by the incident that occurred on the way.

It may seem normal when small kids do stupid activities, but sometimes the “normal” activity can determine the personality the child develops when he grows up. A child of around 8-9 years was probably waiting for his mother while standing outside the tailor’s shop. Another child of around the same age was with him, maybe doing the same thing. What I heard when I reached near them left me with the question, “What are we teaching our children?” I could only imagine the cheap eve teasing guys making such a statement. It included a body part of one of mother’s being smaller than his friend's mother. It was loud enough for me to hear, but the mothers and other people around did not seem to care even a little.

We grew up in a society where the female are considered inferior to male. I grew up in a society where my mother taught me to stay safe because she knew no mother would ask her son not to disrespect women. Times have changed and the condition has improved a lot, but still, such a statement by the little child showed that we still lagged behind in teaching our children how to respect women. No child is born a criminal, and no child is born a rapist, but a child's future is determined by the society he grows in.

I was surprised by the fact that their mothers seemed to take the statement in such a normal way. Is it that normal to hear such disrespectful words from their own children? Why do we ignore such details which play a vital role in shaping their future? I see many parents laughing when their child slaps a person. They think that their children are being so cute but what message does it send to the child? Nobody wonders. But, for that child, beating someone becomes a funny thing to do, and they tend to develop the same personality.

Children are considered as the future of our nation, but how can we expect a better future when the builders of our society are taught to disrespect women. Raising a child is never easy, and it takes so much time and patience. It takes equal care and patience to observe what they are learning from their surroundings. Not only parents, but the whole society is responsible for building the attitude of a child. Let’s just try to respect each other, be kind, speak politely and treat each other well. I am sure the kids will imitate the same, and definitely, pass the same knowledge to the further generations. Respecting and equalizing starts from oneself, so let’s start from the very moment itself.