A bit of soul-searching

T

he recent spate of suicides among students and youngsters has set the alarm bell ringing.  The incidents look like a chain reaction, one case triggering another. A disturbing trend that has made us sit up and take notice.

     What is the reason behind it? Have our youngsters become so fragile? Have they lost confidence in them?  Are there any faults with the parents in bringing up the children? Let us do a bit of soul-searching.

Children should be reassured

     Mainly the children should not be trapped in the vicious circle of parental/peer pressure, competition, relationships and materialistic allure. The children should be reassured constantly. They should be told about the preciousness of life and the long journey that lay ahead. 

     Death should not be the means to vent one’s frustration. But the frustration/disappointment, if any, should give way to a new beginning. One should learn to move on in life. Overcoming the sudden impulse of taking one’s own life itself is a triumph.

     Instead of training the students for only a few educational goals in life, they should be made aware of the myriad other opportunities available to fall back upon in case they fail to reach it.

Let children live their dreams

     Parents should not induce a sense of guilt among their children for not realizing their (parents’) dreams for their children. The guilt-ridden fear of falling from the grace of parents, in fact, constantly chases them.  Realizing the children’s potential, they should be encouraged to study with realistic goals.

     Finally parents should learn to accept their children as they are.  This will pave the way for the children to accept themselves as they are without any complex.