Beware of doing your child’s home work

BEWARE OF DOING YOUR CHILD’S HOME WORK

I am not a journalist or writer.My journalistic achievements are limited to a few letters of endearment to my wife in the first flush of married life and later on, regular contributions to our house magazine.For my daughters however, I was a hero, almost on par with Enyd Blyton,having seen my articles in print..Therefore now and then my help was sought in solving the nuances of the English language
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One Friday evening my second daughter, studying in the 5<SUP>th</SUP> standard confronted me with a topic for composition titled”Autobiography of a Diamond.I had not bargained for such a topic and therefore pretended to be busy with official papers.When this did not cut ice with her I tried to divert the attention by discussing the home budget with my wife.My daughter however did not give up, as children are these days.Unable to postpone my tryst with destiny any longer,I sat down with a heavy heart to tackle the subject.

After an hour’s struggle,I wrote down that the diamond is a very hard,brilliant stone and it has come to be associated as a status symbol of Iyengar ladies.At this juncture,my daughter entered the room and critically surveyed my progress.Thoroughly dissatisfied with my write up,she made it clear that what was wanted was not a question and answer session on diamond but an interesting composition running to three pages in her note book.I was aghast and cursed the teacher for choosing this topic instead of a sensible and easy topic like “How did spend your annual holidays”. I looked into Wren and Martin grammer to know how such autobiographies are written.What I read in the book dispelled my gloom and I was on familiar grounds.It was important for me to live up to my hero’s image before my daughter.A cup of steaming filtered coffee and the adulatory look of my pretty daughter set my creative juices flowing.The end result came out of the following:

The diamond,a big piece is lying buried in a farmer’s field and discovered when the farmer digs a well.The farmer quietly takes it home.Four notorious criminals having come to know of this rob the diamond from the farmer’s houseAmjad Khan,Amitabh Bachhan,Shatrugan Sinha and Madan Puri came to my rescue to describe the four criminals.It then became fairly easy going with never ending fights among themselves,murder etc,followed by hot pursuit of the police,Thanks to an, energetic police commissioner in the persona of Iftekar,who personally chases the lone surviving culprit,the diamond lands in the government treasury.

At this stage I felt that time was ripe to give a touch of religious integration.Therefore the diamond when auctioned by the Government,Vincent Demello,a philanthropic industrialist being the highest bidder gets hold of the diamond.He had just blessed the love marriage of his lovely daughter to a Hindu boy.I had no difficulty in describing the girl as Madhuri Dixit flashed before my eyes with her 1000 watts smile.

The dimond is made into a pendant and adorns the neck of the girl as the marriage is solemnized in the local church.All the friends and well wishers bless the newly married couple as the pendant silenty says amen.I concluded the article and handed it over to my daughter with a sigh of relief.While appreciating my efforts,my daughter told her mother that I had to be dealt with sternly to bring the best out of me.

Three days later,my daughter appeared crest fallen when she returned from school.On questioning she silently handed over her composition note book.There! I found the teacher’s remark”sangeetha –Is it your own work?See me in the principal’s room”.It was my sheer fortune that I was not called to meet the principal.

This was the beginning and end of my journalistic intervention in my daughter’s home work.It is a pity that the age of the child and the class in which he or she is studying is not considered while selecting the topic.Teachers do not discuss the topic for sheer lack of time nor give clear guidelines.The subject is so chosen to ensure that while the teacher is sweating it out correcting home work note books during weekly holidays,parents are also kept busy.This is the techer’s way of settling the score with parents.:rotfl

 

Dear Kamalji,
Vasishta has called me Brahmarishi-That is how I take your compliments.Both of us blogging results in initial hiccups as FBs goes in different names when we forget to log out after use.The well kept secret of Mythili and I being wife and and husband is out in the open like Kasab's nationality-HAHA.Behind every good post there is the mouth watering Vada and Chutney which Mythili makes.You are privy to this gastronomical delight which starts the creative juices flowing.
Regards

LAKSHIMINARAYANAN

 

Dear Mindian,
Thanks for the FB.The temptation for plagiarism is alluring but the ignominy attached to plagiarism is devastating.There is no harm in borrowiNg ideas but to weave a web with your own words requires patience and skill.Children should be guided to be patient while providing them the tools to improve their skill.Give them a fishing rod instead of fish.

Regards

LAKSHIMINARAYANAN