THE strongest reason to write this serial appeal to parents is that they must not lose sight of their responsibility towards not just their wards but also towards the larger society -- so that the youngsters turn out to be good citizens and healthy personalities living a happy and meaningful life. Many parents may tend to think that they know how to care for their children. Yet, they need to be told that parenting is not a touch-and-go affair, but a full-time commitment to ensuring that the off-springs live a truly good life whose direction is not disturbed by wrong political and commercial as well as fashionable narratives. And the only way to making this sure is to keep a healthy and open conversation going all the time between family elders and youngsters. As the loud-thinker concludes this serial appeal, he insists that instead of getting into a denial mode, parents must sit down and ponder seriously over what is actually happening in their families as regards the handling of younger generations. The loud-thinker is conscious of the reality that countless numbers of parents often complain that their kids ‘do not listen to them’ and indulge in willful behaviour to defy word of caution and wisdom from family elders.

 

This is good enough to stress that handling of children is not a touch-and-go affair but a very serious business of guiding younger generations on the right path of life of success and happiness. Dear parents, please mark the words such as ‘happy’, ‘happiness’, meaningfulness’ in this appeal. Merely finding a money-spinning career-line is not a mark of happiness; or success of a life is not defined by the money in the bank account. It is defined by the sense of fulfillment and completeness the youngster would have in the final analysis. In other words, the definition of good life is decided not by material dimensions but by spiritual bliss -- to which every child should be privy. This is not setting the bar too high, the loud-thinker insists. This is only making the point that to have a spiritually rewarding life is not such an impossible task, provided the family pays appropriate attention to the youngsters in their formative and growing years. If the family is able to create an atmosphere of healthy and open dialogue with youngsters in its folds, then there is only an accidental (and unfortunate) chance that the youngster would go astray. This is a universal experience across cultures. Young people often respond positively to wise word. In the coming years, some really trying moments may confront the average family when the youngster happens to get into wrong lanes of life, thanks to the bombardment of wrong narratives through diverse channels on the young and impressionable minds.

 

The forces that would inflict those narratives on the young mind may have agendas that may jeopardise national interests -- in addition to very acerbic attacks on their core character and spiritual values. In such cases, the only way to keep the youngsters protected is to engage them in meaningful family conversation on every subject possible under the Sun. The loud-thinker often gets young visitors -- between ages 18 and 24-25 years -- seeking to discuss many seemingly complex issues such as right and wrong of habits, right and wrong of social and familial norms, right and wrong of spending money in a willful manner, right and wrong of not getting married, right and wrong about ‘live in’ culture ... ! Most of those youngsters are willing to listen to a wise and patient word. The loud-thinker considers himself fortunate to have been able to divert many youngsters from wrong lanes of life and showing them the right direction. The most common inference the loud-thinker arrives at after such encounters is that shockingly high numbers of young people suffer from absence of place and space -- or shoulder -- where they can open their mind out and without the fear of getting blasted by an indulgent family elder.

 

On many occasions, as the loud-thinker realises, the young people know that they have erred seriously, and need a correctional support -- which they do not get from their respective homes. “I do have a house which my parents built, but I cannot call it my home”, a young fellow nearing his graduation in a technical branch once said with his voice dipped in sadness and depression. Such an extreme condition may not prevail in the life of every youngster, all right. But the loud-thinker has no courage to assert that only a miniscule percentage of youngsters have to face such a situation in the family. In fact, he knows out of his own experience of having connected with countless young people that high numbers of families do not prove to be the sanctuaries of genuine accommodation of young people’s troubled mindsets. This is something that needs a serious attention by the families and the larger society. This is the appeal ! (Concluded)