Spoilt brats and indulgent parents

Dear Srama
You have brought out one thing very clearly in para 1 of your FB that it is never too early to inculcate a sense of proportion in the child. It is better to start early telling a child the difference between essential and non essential things. Of all the parental duties, the most important is to teach the child to stay away from extravagance. The child should be taught to avoid wasteful expenditure from a very early age. Such a teaching can be meaningful and effective only if we back it up with a personal example. The austere life that billionaires like Warren Buffet lead should be brought to the attention of young children. Whenever my granddaughters refuse to eat properly, I show them pictures of starving children of Ethiopia and such backward nations and make them understand that they can not waste food.

The statement about old people shooting their mouth unnecessarily was made keeping in view the fact that a lot of harm could be caused by some unscrupulous or inadvertent remarks from them.

As a parent, you are on the right track. Do keep it up!
Sri

 

Dear Gayathri
You remind me of my own childhood when my mother used to employ effectively the technique of not speaking to us whenever we did something that did not have her approval. I remember how we begged and begged and begged her for her forgiveness. When she finally relented and resumed talking to us, it gave us such joy!

Chitvish must be feeling beholden to me for popularising her offbeat recipes. A few well known super markets around here report that there is a marked increase in the sale of oats and horsegram thanks to Madam's recipes.

We are all waiting for Hurricane Naradhi. What is holding her up really?
Sri

 

Dear Pragati
Indulgence manifests itself in many ways. Some mothers go on feeding their children as they think that it is the only way to ensure good health! Some go on dressing up their children like a doll. They buy new dresses almost on a daily basis. Some mothers smother their children with lavish gifts all the time. They do it more to make their children do what the mothers want particularly when the children get too tough to handle. But I think that it is a healthy way to show our indulgence by flooding the child with books. It may create an insatiable thirst for knowledge.

You have made an interesting observation about grandparents that the parents who were once very strict with their children suddenly become indulgent when they become grandparents. But have you observed any indulgent parents becoming strict when they graduate into grandparents? Very unlikely. I should believe that age makes a person more benevolent in nature!

The memory of indulgent grandparents linger in our memory longer than that of indulgent parents!
Sri

 

Dear Veda
Did you sense any anger or resentment in my reply? I dont even know how much anger costs per kilo! The fact is that I really did not get the import of your FB and my reply was based on what and how I perceived it. There is absolutely no question of anger there!
Sri

 

Dear Chithra
I have always wondered why we say 'from the horse's mouth' when we refer to utterances made by people who matter most! I googled for this info and got this:

"In horse racing circles tips on which horse is a likely winner circulate amongst punters. The most trusted authorities are considered to be those in closest touch with the recent form of the horse, i.e. stable lads, trainers etc. The notional 'from the horse's mouth' is supposed to indicate one step better than even that inner circle, i.e. the horse itself."

But that phrase coming from you could be only due to your indulgence towards horses!
Sri

 

Dear Lalitha
Dont worry! You'll get all the indulgence from the thathas and paattis of IL!
Sri