Parental Woes

There is no doubt that education in India has evolved drastically. For now they emphasize not only on the kids but parents too. My generation parents are sort of revisiting the educational phase again. The curriculum, the assignments, the activities being followed in schools today are on the terms of creating more Rajnikanths or superheroes per se in the society.

I haven’t had any idea that apart from struggling for livelihood, I would also need to cope up with completing my kid’s homework because my kid is not a born artist, or a poet, or an environmentalist and neither am I. It gives me an inferiority complex as I cannot even boast about whatever iota of success I have achieved in my life compared to the burden of all-rounder expectation being carried by my lad at such a tender age.

When I look at that heavy school bag which can even put the weight lifters to shame, I don’t even expect him to say “My papa is strongest!” rather he points at my laptop bag and says how lucky you are. What are schools up to, preparing the kids for Olympics?

The thought of going back home after office hours is no more filled with the idea of relaxing or watching tv but planning on how to create a robot out of waste material, the assignment which my son told me about over phone. The pressure has raised to the level where I could say “Boss se darr nahi lagta sahab, bacche ki assignment se lagta hai”. Now a days “What my kid got as an assignment” is the most discussed topic in office lunch hours followed by nursery admissions; filled with laughter outside and nothing but tension deep down. 

It gives me goosebumps when his summer vacations are about to happen as it initiates a marathon for all parents to show what they are made of. I swear, I haven’t faced that level of stress even while pursuing my engineering. 

Sometimes I dream of my son coming back from school and saying “Our school is launching the next Indian satellite and you need to help me with pressure sensor optimization as per my assignment” and I wake up horrified, shocked and gasping...