“Mummy,
will I grow tall?”
“Pray to God and you’ll grow tall.”
“Mummy, what
if don’t pray?”
“God will punish you.”
“Mummy, how to make God happy?”
“You tell him you will put your piggy bank money in
the hundi in the temple…”
For years, sages and seers have been trying to
analyse this concept called ‘God’ and yet, here are parents who can dismiss Him
with an image reminding you of a stern school-teacher, greedy creditor and
somehow open to bribery!! The child grows up with false notions about God. He
starts depending on this genie to make him pass in his exams without studying!
He distrusts God when his wishes are not granted and on the whole, becomes
confused about this being called ‘God’. A pity, because He would have been a
great source of inner strength, if sought with the right approach. This is where
parents have to straighten their own perception of the Almighty.
To begin with, it’s all wrong to let your child look
upon God as someone up there, ready with boons to be showered on those that woo
Him. Let your child develop a pragmatic approach. If he wants to know how to
grow tall, tell him he has to eat well, do push ups or stretching and bending
exercises, play outdoors etc. why bring God into the picture? You must
encourage your child to believe that he is the architect of his life. How he
designs his actions and thoughts, will determine the shape his future will
take. Let him believe in his own capacity and encourage him to build up
confidence in his ability. God need not be introduced at this stage.
If your child is doing something wrong, don’t threaten
him with dire consequences from an angered God. There is no point in putting
the fear of the unseen in him. On the other hand explain to him how he has been
blessed with certain comforts and luxuries and how he’d be hurting the
Benefactor by not behaving himself. Let him get a feeling of love for the
supreme being. Show him how beautiful is the world with its rivers and dales,
mountains, birds, flowers, human beings, insects and animals … Let him connect
God with a mysterious force which directs the harmonious sights and sounds of
nature. The master craftsman who has moulded the symmetrical bodies of humans
and animals… the child will look upon Him as a creator --- a friend … a person
to be respected and loved.
Make the child realize that this benevolent
conductor of the universe, wishes all His creatures to be good and happy and
any discordant action of theirs will make him unhappy. Fear of God’s
unhappiness should be born out of love for Him and a hesitation to incur His
displeasure… not wrath!
Another harm a parent can do to a child’s belief is
by giving him false hopes like saying he will become tall by praying!! The
child, if he does not become tall, will look upon God as a ‘cheater’ who takes
in all the prayers but doesn’t fulfill His side of the bargain!
Tremendous
Your responsibility as a parent is tremendous. You
have to explain to a child, a mystery that saints have not been able to fathom
God. In your explanation lies the little one’s entire attitude towards Him. Be
very careful. Let your child believe that “God is what man finds that is divine
in himself. God is the best way man can behave in the ordinary occasions of
life, and the farthest point to which man can stretch himself.” Once a child
gets his ideas sorted out, he will look upon all attendant theories like
religion, caste and creed, as mere words.
In this age of terrorism violence and cruelty, the
only safe concept is that of God. Don’t steal this anchor from your child. All
else that you bestow on him will be futile. The faith that you instill in him
will be his fountainhead of strength, his moral fibre.
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