Should children be sent in for sports/academic competitions that push them to th
By JB
@joynatarajan (332)
India
November 11, 2006 5:00am CST
There are many reports on news channels - 3 and 5-year-olds partaking in marathons, 3 year olds becoming web designers, pre teens pushing forward in all kinds of sports and stuff.
I feel that we are robbing our children of their chance to be children. These kids go ahead with this for their minutes of fame. But actually, it is the simple fact that their parents are trying to live through them. A person can be a child only once. If a child is pushed forward, and takes on the roles of an adult, his/her childhood is lost. Im not saying that these kids are not intelligent, but dont you think that their childhood should be respected and parents should actually shield them and protect them instead of pushing their limits for the sake of fame and world records?
5 responses
@Metallion (2227)
• United States
18 Nov 06
3 year olds are not web designers, let's get real here!!!
@joynatarajan (332)
• India
18 Nov 06
It's true. Check out the update on the Guiness Book of World Records!!!
@Aspire (47)
• India
11 Nov 06
That is one view of seeing things. But we live in a world where performance is the only measurement of a person's success. A child gets measured by his parents, friends, peers and relatives on some of these parameters. Not being ahead would mean that you are behind. The kind of pressure that is being created itself leads to situaions of this sort where one has no option but to go that extra mile. A child is actually out of choice most of the times.
@joynatarajan (332)
• India
18 Nov 06
Yeah... but doesnt their childhood get affected? I mean, when they are 50 or 60, will they have a childhood to look back to?
@meeoww (1174)
• United States
13 Nov 06
I think that a child shouldn't be pushed in these kinds of things, however, if it is their interest (and especially if they're good at it) then they should be given every chance we can afford to improve it. But I totally agree with you on the importance of being a child, and so I think that the special interest that they have should also be limited so as it's not the only activity in his life. You know, a nice balance! After all, that's what life should be, shouldn't it! Aloha!
@sudhagarsingh (195)
• India
11 Nov 06
No. I think children should be given a chance to be children. They should have a chance to enjoy the simple things of life and save the stress for later.
@koushika (693)
• India
18 Nov 06
child is the father of man!
indeed that was the caption of the school i attended...look at this way, its ecoming very competitve now adays, an awareness is growing all around, and the literacy rates everywhere are showing an increasing trend...just think why children could become such web designers or marathon racers as u ve told above, just because they have that ability to do so, their young minds are fresh without the avigations that adullts have...they have so much grasping power, intellect and memory that they could utilize and so if given training in anything would surely succeed. and know this, whatever the child learns in his school days is that thing that will stay with him forever...so, it is better if he learns as max as possible...
coming to physical exercises, running or some things like that...if his body can adapt to it faster, it wud be very good, won't u be happy if ur child can swim at the age of two...though u ll be not and feel it abnormal and bad, definitely the fishermen and ones who depend on the sea for their livelihood will be proud to have such children.
