Saving our Glass Toys!

Another child committed suicide in a very short period of time. Whether it is a fear of the parents or the teachers, the children are seriously taking it to their hearts and reacting negatively.

It is generally believed that no one else can understand a child other than his or her parents. Similarly, teachers are also considered the second guardian to judge a child because they do not ignore the aspects that the parents may due to the lover in their eyes for their child. Concisely, the views of the both parents and teachers help the most in knowing about a child`s personality. In this way, there are two eyes at a time on a child.     

However, the question is, how both of the very active eyes altogether failed to judge what the children were thinking of doing? How did the fear, frustration, anger or disappointment remain obscure from the parents and the teachers? Why didn`t the children consider their teachers, especially the parents to share their feelings with? Why and how did a so big disconnect develop between them?

It is not only the suicides, the running away from their homes by the children is the result of the same disconnect. The Edhi Hoe record can give a complete list of the children who left their homes because of the similar reasons. No matter it is scolding of their parents, punishments from their teachers or the torture from the Molvi/Qaari Sahibs, the consequences are before us. In order to save any more scolding, punishments on their done or undone deeds, the children have stated betraying. Their reactions are coming in the form of running away from the homes and committing suicides.

In comparison to children, parents and teachers have more responsibility on their shoulders. To counter this, the parents and the teachers may be of the view that they are the children who make them be strict to them. Otherwise, they have o enmity with them. Moreover, they may also argue that the purpose of scolding or punishment is just to mend them; to put them on the right path, but not to take any sort of revenge from them.

Yes, they are right! Parents and teachers would not like to unnecessarily punish the children.

But, can they ignore the outcomes of their reformatory ways? Should they not notice if the children are coming on the right path or they are getting off the desired tracks in this way? It is fact that parents and teachers have no enmity with their own children, but what are the reactions of the children indicating? Should these incidents not be seriously taken up? Are the mistakes of the children are of so much severe nature that they are pushed to the wall for running away or committing suicides?

All over world, the recycling process is implemented. In this process, the scrap or waste items are put into the process so that they can be made to be reused. This shows that even the waste items have value for the people. The question is, are our children not equivalent to even waste items that they can be reformed to benefit the society? Do they less value than the scrap items?

But, if is not so, then why are we letting them run away from their homes and commit suicide? If all the responsibilities are put on the shoulders of the children, even then should we let them lose not only their future, but also their lives? Shouldn`t we revisit our perception and the resulted behavior towards them so as stop children from protesting in this way?

The poem “The Toys” was written by Conventry Patmore expressing his sad feelings that he had after scolding his son for a petty thing. When the poet realized his mistake and went back to his son`s room, he found him calmly sleeping in bed. The poet noticed marks of tears on his cheeks and also saw some toys near him. Very emotional the poet got to see the innocence and the tears on face of his son. He felt sorry for his behavior to the son.

Here, the point is when the sleeping face and the tears of a son can make a poet sorry for his mistake, can the dead faces of our children not make the parents and the teachers realize that they had done something wrong towards them? When the innocence of a sleeping face can make Conventry Patmore (the poet) have the realization of his relatively strict behavior and learn the lesson from it, can the pains on the dead faces of our children, who had committed suicide, not create the similar feelings in the hearts of the patens and children? If yes, then why don`t we altogether reform our behavior so that we can stop the series of run aways and suicides of our glassy toys?