Financial literacy doesn’t mean sharing the house budget or the details of your salary slip or asking them to dabble in the share market. It means teaching them about the value of money, about managing small amounts like their allowances and encouraging good, healthy financial habits.
Reading has been a big part of who I’m. Give me a book and I can spend days immersed in the parallel world, oblivious to the real world around me. There have been times when, because I was at some crucial point in the narrative, the house was ignored, cooking was near palatable, and sleep was a distant, disruptive activity.
Time waits for no one and it’s so true. Just look at the calendar and you’ll realise what I’m trying to say. It’s already the end of October; another two months and this year comes to an end, just like that. Like Jim Rohn says, “Either you run the day, or the day runs you.”
The big challenge for any teacher of primary classes is to keep the students interested. Getting them to practice what they’ve learnt is the next hurdle. With every year, I’ve innovated and improvised my teaching methods to suit the requirements of my students.
Bringing up a child is no laughing matter, especially in these times. Be it your own child or someone in your classroom, building a relationship with them is an incomparable achievement. It speaks of such deep trust and acceptance that it is humbling. The stress of the modern lifestyle and pressures is bringing changes in the family dynamics which has altered our relationships with not just the children but with all who are a part of our world.
What do we plan to leave behind for the generations to come? An exhausted and pillaged planet? Loads of plastic waste? A world divided on petty and frivolous excuses? Or do we want them to feel grateful for their inheritance? Maybe a better quality of life? A proud heritage? A rich cultural legacy? Individual decisions are based on individual circumstances but as a generation of people what are we leaving behind? I’ve often wondered about this and the answers are always different.
Parents must realise that education happens even outside the classrooms. The child learns so much about the world beyond his family and discovers parts of his or her personality which have otherwise been ignored. Therefore parents should, and must, encourage the children to explore new activities during the summer vacations instead of doing the same cliched things. I have listed out a few activities to happily engage children for the summertime.
(for those who know it all and for those who are still struggling even after years of experience)
Is it only me or are there other overwhelmed and hassled parents out there wondering what’s happening around them? I mean with raising children. Am I doing it right or is there something wanting? Every time I call up any of my friends, the conversation somehow manages to drift to the children – their studies, behavior, food habits, digital media, etc. etc. In short, it’s all about the children.