Good Communication Starts At Home
A Conversation Between Parents and Children
Parents: Why can't you children ever listen to us?
Children: Coz of the huge generation gap between us.
Parents: Generation gap? What is it? If we provide you everything, as per your desires, the gap would be erased?
Children: Maybe...
Parents: The day you came into our lives we became parents. We kept learning about "parenting" on a trial and error basis. As parents, we also grow with you so we can make many mistakes and we expect you to understand that. Whatever you needed, we were able to provide you but your desires were larger than our paychecks, but still we tried to fulfill every desire of yours to our best of ability. So the generation gap is just an illusion and not reality...
Children: You guys never let us follow our dreams, our passion and you don't trust us that we can make decisions on our own about our life...
Parents: Your dreams and your passions keeps changing as you grow up, so we ask you to wait to realize what is that you really want to do with your lives and for that, you needto be educated well enough. That's the basic need; we do provide it. We do trust you unconditionally; you children give meaning to our lives.
The reason we create barriers for you is we don't ever wish to see you in pain or get hurt because strange are the ways of life. Sometimes it's too easy to handle but sometimes it's really a tough nut to crack. We prepare you so that you are able to handle every situation with ease, ethics, and confidence.
The day you make your decisions independently, we expect you to take the responsibilities of its result. Be assured you will have our unconditionally support always. No matter what the outcome is.
Children: You guys always compare us with our friends.
Parents: Yes, that's our mistake as we keep forgetting that each child is special in his/her own way. We sometimes try to live our own dreams through you, thereby your own dreams are not fulfilled. But that's how things were for us when we were kids, our parents did the same with us. For sure we did get hurt but as we grew up and became parents, we understood why they did that to us. Maybe when you become parents you may also realize the same, but still, we seek forgiveness for that.
Children: Whom should we idolize when you guys behave the way you are not suppose to behave?
Parents: We are humans with flaws. Sometimes, along the line, we may behave in a weird manner. Many times we may fight amongst ourselves because there are so many issues we face as adults that we can't share with you. That doesn't mean that you fight with your siblings for small petty things in life.
When we were kids, we use to idolize our parents. But as we grew up, we couldn't because of their behavior and the innumerable number of barriers they imposed on us. As we stepped in their shoes, we understood why they behaved inthat manner and why they had put so many restrictions on us.
They expected us to take care of them with love and affection in their old age, not because they wanted any compensation for what they did for us but since their world hadshrunk from a huge social circle to just our home, we, as their children, meant the world to them. But as our desires grew, they had to work hard to fulfill them;we realized this only now that we are in their shoes.
We do idolize our own parents for bringing us in this world, making us what we are today. But one thing that never can change is our love for you. We may not be able to show you many times but we do love you from the depths of our soul. We always try to do all that we can to make your life happy and successful.
Copyright © 2010 Vikki Kumar
The conversation may go on and on; it's never-ending. But one thing that's certain is as parents, we should give all the time to our children, support them, and love them unconditionally. And as children, we should learn how to trust our parents for whatever they are doing - it's for our own good.
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