THERE is no relevance of the theme of this edition of ‘Loud Thinking’ to the current coronavirus pandemic. There is a larger and deeper meaning to it, which we must understand. It suggests something very critical in the crucial zone of parenting or child-upbringing. It suggests that parents or elders in the family need to think far more deeply about how to handle the issue of wonderful young minds and bodies growing within the confines of the home. This headline -- “Don’t quarantine the children; insulate them” -- has appeared in an edition of ‘Loud Thinking’ years ago. Now, I would add a third word to the thought, and the new headline should read: “Don’t quarantine the children; insulate them, liberate them”.

 

The idea is not very difficult to be understood with all its nuances. Unfortunately, however, we have often failed to give a deep thought to how children are to be brought up. In most families, very superficial considerations direct the elders’ conduct. Since every family adores its young ones for obvious reasons, it wants to ensure that the kids are kept safe from anything that is not good for them. So, the children are only occasionally allowed to deviate from home-to-school-to-home again pattern. The stress mostly is on studies and classroom achievements -- with only a passing reference to other activities that actually shape the personality -- like sports, adventure, daredevil indulgences. Most families are very rightly protective of their young ones for obvious and correct reasons.

 

However, in the process, the children are often quarantined in the family cocoon with no deviation permitted. This process often leads to the kids becoming rather too careful (read ‘fearful’) to take on anything unknown. By no standard can this condition be considered ideal for child-upbringing. It is in this context that the element of insulation of the children from something not proper for them. This is quite different from the meaning of the word “quarantine” suggests. “Quarantine” suggests isolation while “insulation” suggests a regulated connect with the surroundings physically or spiritually. Insulation protects the individual all right without snapping his connect with the surrounding. It allows him a peep out, offers a good idea of what things are like in reality.

 

Yet, it does not allow the individual kid to get into life’s wrong lane. Such a calibrated freedom is the actual need in a healthy child-upbringing. That actually sets the child free from unnecessary encumbrances to growth. When the families abandon the quarantine approach and adopt insulation approach, they set the child free to live a better life, find his own definition and direction of achievement, look for his own association ...! Of course, this idea requires a massive elaboration, which the limited space of the column does not allow. But suffice it is to offer the idea for an open forum of thinking in families -- about how to offer a liberated life to the children. Thank you!