Debaroti Bose
Principal
Gaurs International School
The coronavirus outbreak is affecting people across India in different ways. For parents of school-going kids across the country, the experience has been overwhelming and exhausting. Around mid-March, when several Indian states sprung into action to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, their first step was to shut schools. Initially, the shutdown was meant to be till March 31, but it has now been extended till April 14, when the 21-day national lockdown concludes . This means that kids, who typically spend around 6 hours in a structured learning environment away from home, are now stuck indoors for weeks.
This is something unprecedented and unimagined for all of us. Our children are witnessing a vacation where they are not free to play outdoors, go out and meet friends and relatives. Times are tough, but more than us, it is for our children who have never been under such circumstances in their young lives.
As guardians, we are finding ourselves trying hard to make them spend their time in a productive and useful way. Somewhere in the back of our minds, a thought is pounding that their study time, their learning time is getting compromised. Out of desperation we end up making routines for them, search internet for videos and study tutorials to help them spend their time judiciously.
I am sure, most of us are finding our kids bored, irritated, angry and not ready to listen to our advices. You may be witnessing more tantrums and oppositional behaviour. So, let us brace ourselves for the same. I request all my parents to be gentle towards their kids as they are scared. Their experience of holidays and fun time has been shattered and challenged by this terrifying condition of being trapped inside their homes.
A sense of comfort and security is what the kids need during these challenging times. Please deal with them patiently and affectionately. Let them understand that this will soon be over and things will be alright. I can perceive that even parents are struggling to balance their household chores with “Work from Home” schedule. But, for the sake of our children, it is important to take a pause, unwind and spend some pleasant, fun filled moments with them.
Cook Maggi together, tend to the plants in the balcony, play Ludo or Carrom, read stories to them or tell them funny incidents of your childhood or simply snuggle and lie together cozy inside a blanket. When all of this ends and I am sure it’ll end soon, all that matters would be how happy and cushioned our kids felt during this lockdown period.
Restricting people to stay indoors has brought about some other changes in the world around us that are startling and an eye-opener in many ways. Countries that have been under stringent lockdowns to stop the spread of the coronavirus have experienced an unintended benefit. The outbreak has, at least in part, contributed to a noticeable drop in pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in many countries. We can feel the cleaner air and admire the clearer sky.
Certain age old practices, especially those practiced in ancient India, have got revived, out of desperation to keep ourselves safe. For instance, today the entire world is joining their hands in Namaste to greet each other. Hygiene issues are forcing us to take off our shoes before entering our homes to keep away disease causing germs. Clothes that are worn while at work are taken off immediately and gone for laundry. These practices were part of our culture since ages but got lost somewhere in our zeal to adopt the so called modernism and western culture.Today, the older generation can rightfully ascertain that these practices should have never been done away with.
Each passing century had one or the other major happening to bring about significant changes in the society and lifestyle of people. These challenging times will certainly be over, but it is up to us to learn from the circumstances and come out of it stronger, more responsible and more sensible.