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The ONLY Way

It was another usual. This time the grandfather was the one who brought his 14-year-old grandson with the usual complaints. He eats nothing and is addicted to gadgets.


This covid era has been a fertile period for such issues. Kids just got more engrossed with these gadgets as their schools shifted from real to virtual canvases. Earlier, they had a tablet or a mobile to take an eye off their books and relax to play a game. Now the school itself relocated to the tablet and, parents are unsure whether it's the learning or the playing that's happening at any time.


There is no rarity of such kids, be it in my clinical practice or my friends' circle. No gender difference too. Almost on a daily average, I come across a complaint of gadget addiction. Unlike most harmful substances that are addictive, these are at times handy and have thus become a part of our lives.


I summoned the mother of the 14-year-old. There was nothing in store as a surprise. A homemaker mother, having to tirelessly spend a big chunk of the day in the kitchen. Thus, substituting her availability to the kids with HER mobile phone. She, too, was worried about this but was fretting in finding a solution.


Every lock comes with a key. So do problems and solutions. The only way to solve this is the parents' way. They have to find time to spend it with the kids. Homemaker parents spend a lot of time in the kitchen. Just cut down the number of dishes. Find dishes that suit the whole family. Involve the kids in the process of making food. Learning doesn't come from books always. Clean and dust the house together and so on. Working parents, too, can follow suit. Do not substitute your presence with a gadget. It was not a gadget that gave birth to your child, and don't expect a mobile phone to be a surrogate for a parent.


 

Comments

  1. dr jogiJanuary 30, 2021 at 10:15 PM

    Very relevant. Many parents come with this problem. Difficult to sort it out. Just like all addictions. Can't say a big No also. The remedy is somewhere in between.
    Sankara, keep on writing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownJanuary 31, 2021 at 12:24 AM

    Its a struggle for every parent. Its not the fault of child or the parent. For months these kids were away from the schooling parks the giggles and the fun of life outside the four walls. It was more difficult for the nuclear family where parents were locked in with work from home. But inbetween all these everyone struggled. Still at first place kids should be equally appreciated as well that at the tender age they got themselves fit into completely new system of existence. A positive reinforcement would fit the mobile the internet and the curriculum well in place. Although its completely trial and error case and can't be applied freely but definitely given a try.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Pavan MangiJanuary 31, 2021 at 9:48 AM

    Yes the gadgets are becoming more of a social problem than a practical solution which helped business and schools fare well in 2020 . Though they helped in every possible way to get things going ( business meetings , classes , connecting etc ) they also gave the minors a tool which if not used carefully does more harm than good and yes it is the absolute responsibility of the parents to monitor and strike the balance .

    Good one Anna , want more keep in coming

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownJanuary 31, 2021 at 10:28 PM

    Brilliant sankar....Just keep on moving your pen...It does wonders for many families including mine 👌👌👌

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dr.Sankaranarayanan JFebruary 2, 2021 at 8:03 PM

    Thanks dears

    ReplyDelete

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