This children's day, I am going to write all about the most precious and wonderful part of life i.e., childhood. According to the life cycle, childhood begins with infancy and it ends when a child reaches 10-12 years old. In this blog, I am going to write about the childhood of the past as well as the childhood of today. At the end of this blog, It also gives some important tips for each and every parent how to give your children a happy childhood as well as child safety.
Childhood Then: -
Childhood in the past is a very simple and happy one. No smartphones, no tablets or laptops, no internet, no social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, WhatsApp etc.), No cable/DTH/streaming television (particularly Netflix/Amazon Prime/HotStar), delicious home cooked food prepared by our mothers, tazos and stickers, the good old casettes(VHS/cassette tapes in order to watch movies (Jurassic Park, Disney movies, Home Alone, Baby's Day Out, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Andaz Apna Apna, Baazigar, an many others), *WWF Matches (now WWE), cartoons as well as weddings and listening to good music with the likes of Madonna, Michael Jackson, Savage Garden, Boyzone, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, Savage Garden, George Michael, N 'Sync, Peter Andre, Alisha Chinoy, Sonu Nigam), summer holidays in our grandparents' house (nani's/dadi's) during summer holidays, spending time with grandparents ,playing outside i.e., in parks with playgrounds and neighbours and our cousins like hopscotch, chor-sipahi, antaksharis, catch catch, stone-paper-scissors, and hide and seek, playing toys like dolls, dollhouses, toy cars, Lego blocks, trolls, teddy bears, board games like monopoly, snakes and ladders, Ludo, carrom, cards, playing puzzles etc., with our friends and cousins, reading, flying kites and listening to bedtime stories, watching cartoons, animated and children's movies (mostly Disney), MS DOS computers and even video games (mostly Nintendo games like Contra, Mario). During weekends, we can go to zoo, beach, garden, movie theatres, amusement parks and waterparks, do roller-skating and cycling as well as to play badminton, cricket and football. Sometimes, we can organize picnics during the holidays and on weekends.
Any child who grew up before technology invaded our lives will always remember the fun and colourful birthday parties with staples such as yummy, creamy cakes, sandwiches, pizza/burger/fried chicken/biryani, chicken fry, samosas, spring rolls, potato chips, gulab jamun, puff pastries (both sweet and savoury), vegetable and chicken cutlets, ice cream, soft drinks (Pepsi, Coca Cola, 7 UP)/fruits juices/tang/rasna, Danish cookies, filmy songs, fun games like musical chairs, catch - catch etc., along with toys, dresses (jeans and t-shirts for boys and frocks for girls), books, dictionaries, stationeries, crayons as our presents but sometimes we celebrate our birthdays either at fast food restaurants, such as McDonalds, KFC, Hardee's or Pizza Hut or a restaurant of our choice. Our childhood is also a time when we are always in contact with our school friends, family members and even our favourite teachers. That's why childhood in the 80s and 90s is considered as one the best ever.
Childhood Now: -
Nowadays childhood is dominated by sedentary lifestyles, as well as the internet and gadgets such as Xbox, smartphones and tablets as well as streaming platforms. Today's kids are becoming very lazy and inactive because of the current lifestyle;they are not interested in going out for outdoor activities as well as to play sports, games, read books, play with friends, cousins and neighbours etc., They are extremely addicted to tablets, personal computers (PCs), cartoons streamed via Netflix, Amazon Prime etc., video and computer games like Xbox and their parents' phones, which may damage their eyesight and brain, disrupt their sleeping habits as well as their concentration of their studies, which effects their performance in school resulting in their poor results in exams and tests. They are not in contact with their cousins, family members and friends in real life; they only connect them via social media apps and websites, which leads them to an inactive lifestyle as well as the lack of physical activity and communication skills. They are also addicted to social media platforms and websites like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, TikTok, Snapchat etc., and they are always communicate with them using these apps via their smartphones and online. However, social media, such as Facebook, TikTok can be misused by kids and teenagers anytime, which results in the increasing risks of anxiety, targets for stalking, pedophiles as well as mental illness and depression when they became teenagers.
Nowadays, birthday parties are held at fast food chains, restaurants and shopping malls instead of terraces and sitting rooms at home. The birthday presents now are mostly smartphones, tablets, laptop computers and Xbox gaming stations instead of clothes, toys and . The humble biryani, cutlets, samosas, which was the staple of our birthdays every year are being replaced by various varieties of junk food. burgers, pizzas, noodles, fried chicken, french fries, ice creams and doughnuts.
Today's families are single, independent nuclear families. People are losing contact with their relatives as well as family members and cousins as they are busy in their working lives in their home countries and abroad. In today's scenario when husband and wife are currently working and earning the livelihood for the nuclear family, there is no time for them to spend some time with their own children as well as own parents as the children are being placed in day-care centres, resulting in increasing isolation within the minds of the children. The present day mothers have no time to cook a home cooked meal for the kids and the family as they are busy with their work schedules (day and night shifts, meetings). Instead, fast food/takeout/processed/junk food is used as an alternative option; this results in increasing rates childhood obesity rates in recent years in many parts of the world particularly in both developed and developing countries.
Family vacations are concentrated mostly on exotic places in their home countries and abroad instead of visiting grandparents' house, which resulted in them been neglected and were sent to old age homes or someone else to take care of. As a result, many families are breaking down due to the weak attachment of grandparents and children and resulting in the formation of dysfunctional and single parent families.
Tips for making a happy childhood for your children: -
Childhood Then: -
Childhood in the past is a very simple and happy one. No smartphones, no tablets or laptops, no internet, no social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, WhatsApp etc.), No cable/DTH/streaming television (particularly Netflix/Amazon Prime/HotStar), delicious home cooked food prepared by our mothers, tazos and stickers, the good old casettes(VHS/cassette tapes in order to watch movies (Jurassic Park, Disney movies, Home Alone, Baby's Day Out, Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke, Andaz Apna Apna, Baazigar, an many others), *WWF Matches (now WWE), cartoons as well as weddings and listening to good music with the likes of Madonna, Michael Jackson, Savage Garden, Boyzone, Backstreet Boys, Spice Girls, Savage Garden, George Michael, N 'Sync, Peter Andre, Alisha Chinoy, Sonu Nigam), summer holidays in our grandparents' house (nani's/dadi's) during summer holidays, spending time with grandparents ,playing outside i.e., in parks with playgrounds and neighbours and our cousins like hopscotch, chor-sipahi, antaksharis, catch catch, stone-paper-scissors, and hide and seek, playing toys like dolls, dollhouses, toy cars, Lego blocks, trolls, teddy bears, board games like monopoly, snakes and ladders, Ludo, carrom, cards, playing puzzles etc., with our friends and cousins, reading, flying kites and listening to bedtime stories, watching cartoons, animated and children's movies (mostly Disney), MS DOS computers and even video games (mostly Nintendo games like Contra, Mario). During weekends, we can go to zoo, beach, garden, movie theatres, amusement parks and waterparks, do roller-skating and cycling as well as to play badminton, cricket and football. Sometimes, we can organize picnics during the holidays and on weekends.
Any child who grew up before technology invaded our lives will always remember the fun and colourful birthday parties with staples such as yummy, creamy cakes, sandwiches, pizza/burger/fried chicken/biryani, chicken fry, samosas, spring rolls, potato chips, gulab jamun, puff pastries (both sweet and savoury), vegetable and chicken cutlets, ice cream, soft drinks (Pepsi, Coca Cola, 7 UP)/fruits juices/tang/rasna, Danish cookies, filmy songs, fun games like musical chairs, catch - catch etc., along with toys, dresses (jeans and t-shirts for boys and frocks for girls), books, dictionaries, stationeries, crayons as our presents but sometimes we celebrate our birthdays either at fast food restaurants, such as McDonalds, KFC, Hardee's or Pizza Hut or a restaurant of our choice. Our childhood is also a time when we are always in contact with our school friends, family members and even our favourite teachers. That's why childhood in the 80s and 90s is considered as one the best ever.
Childhood Now: -
Nowadays childhood is dominated by sedentary lifestyles, as well as the internet and gadgets such as Xbox, smartphones and tablets as well as streaming platforms. Today's kids are becoming very lazy and inactive because of the current lifestyle;they are not interested in going out for outdoor activities as well as to play sports, games, read books, play with friends, cousins and neighbours etc., They are extremely addicted to tablets, personal computers (PCs), cartoons streamed via Netflix, Amazon Prime etc., video and computer games like Xbox and their parents' phones, which may damage their eyesight and brain, disrupt their sleeping habits as well as their concentration of their studies, which effects their performance in school resulting in their poor results in exams and tests. They are not in contact with their cousins, family members and friends in real life; they only connect them via social media apps and websites, which leads them to an inactive lifestyle as well as the lack of physical activity and communication skills. They are also addicted to social media platforms and websites like Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, TikTok, Snapchat etc., and they are always communicate with them using these apps via their smartphones and online. However, social media, such as Facebook, TikTok can be misused by kids and teenagers anytime, which results in the increasing risks of anxiety, targets for stalking, pedophiles as well as mental illness and depression when they became teenagers.
Nowadays, birthday parties are held at fast food chains, restaurants and shopping malls instead of terraces and sitting rooms at home. The birthday presents now are mostly smartphones, tablets, laptop computers and Xbox gaming stations instead of clothes, toys and . The humble biryani, cutlets, samosas, which was the staple of our birthdays every year are being replaced by various varieties of junk food. burgers, pizzas, noodles, fried chicken, french fries, ice creams and doughnuts.
Today's families are single, independent nuclear families. People are losing contact with their relatives as well as family members and cousins as they are busy in their working lives in their home countries and abroad. In today's scenario when husband and wife are currently working and earning the livelihood for the nuclear family, there is no time for them to spend some time with their own children as well as own parents as the children are being placed in day-care centres, resulting in increasing isolation within the minds of the children. The present day mothers have no time to cook a home cooked meal for the kids and the family as they are busy with their work schedules (day and night shifts, meetings). Instead, fast food/takeout/processed/junk food is used as an alternative option; this results in increasing rates childhood obesity rates in recent years in many parts of the world particularly in both developed and developing countries.
Family vacations are concentrated mostly on exotic places in their home countries and abroad instead of visiting grandparents' house, which resulted in them been neglected and were sent to old age homes or someone else to take care of. As a result, many families are breaking down due to the weak attachment of grandparents and children and resulting in the formation of dysfunctional and single parent families.
Tips for making a happy childhood for your children: -
- Always take your child to parks or parks with playgrounds, shopping malls, supermarkets, restaurant (to try a new dish), amusement/waterparks, movie theatre, zoo or your favourite tourist destination.
- Never give them gadgets like tablets, smartphones and personal computers (except for educational purposes like assignments, homework, school projects).
- Don't expose your child to social media/streaming sites and platforms from an early age. Instead, give them books, puzzles, comics, toys etc. in order to improve and excel their creativity, vocabulary and communication skills..
- Send your child to hobby classes as well as recreational centres, such as playing the piano, drawing, painting, pottery as well as picking up a new sport like badminton, tennis, yoga, karate or any other sport to boost their performance in school.
- Encourage your child to participate in various competitions organized by a school he/she is studying in.
- Limit the TV, PC (Personal computer) screen and video game (Xbox) time for 2 hours.
- Play and spend time with your child when you come from office and on weekends.
- Never fight in front of your children. This will affect your child's life negatively in the future.
- Plan a vacation either at grandparents' house or a vacation of your choice (particularly in a home country or abroad with grandparents) to learn and explore new cultures and traditions.
- Every working mother should bring either a cookbook or search for a recipe online to cook for her own kids (Kids meals) and give a healthy and nutritious twist to their favourite dishes.
- Plan a get together, potluck and your child's birthday party with family members and office friends along with their kids, so that kids can get friends from an early age.
- Always be concern about your child's safety at home as well as the public. Don't let them go near to the wires of all the electronic devices as well as hazardous household items and install a fence in your house if you have a child, who is under 3 year old particularly in the stairs.
- Organize a picnic on a holiday i.e., either on New year's day/national holiday/weekend.
Tell me about your Childhood.
(Note: - WWF (World Wresting Federation) is now WWE (World Wresting Entertainment)).
For more on the effects of the digital world on children and teenagers, please read my next blog Are We Trapped in the Virtual World?
