Of all the jobs in the world, the most satisfying, rewarding and yet tiring job is parenting. No amount of words can describe the joy of looking at your child excelling in the very area you struggled. And no weight of gold can compare to the reward of leaving behind a rich legacy. However, very few achieve this joy and legacy due to the inherent nature of parenting being a tiresome job. Yes, it is one of the few jobs in the world where you aren’t entitled to an annual vacation!
To be a good parent, one needs an enormous amount of wisdom, patience and determination. Mere “love” alone cannot make one a good parent. For times will come when even the quietest child can get under your nerves and test your patience. Add to that different (sometimes complex) personality types of a child, an unconducive macro-environment, a non-supportive or missing spouse and interfering grandparents. You really have a match on the cards. And then as if to add insult to injury, we now have to parent a child 24/7, thanks to the pandemic.
Parenting before the pandemic
While parenting is joyful and a primary moral obligation of a parent, it is also hard as it calls for a selfless living. The cry of an infant is more important than the long lost sleep of a mother; the education expenses of a child more important than that missing fancy car in the garage; the basketball finals of the sports-enthusiast son more important than overstaying at the office; and the friendly talk with a teenage daughter about the mystery of love more important than the gossip with the next-door neighbour.
Prior to the pandemic, parents didn’t fret or stress as much as they do now, as their lives were very much compartmentalized. They had sort of found a way to multitask efficiently and give “every” important thing and person in their life a fair audience. However, with the ensuing lockdowns and thereafter the new normal of staying and working at home most of the time, life has been thrown into disarray. Now even the typical doting parent, who was so far well organized, is now confused as to what is important in life and what to do first.
Virtual parenting to in-person parenting
In the pre-pandemic world, when virtual working wasn’t the norm, there were a lot of parents who were virtual parenting. Many had given up the responsibilities of parenting to maids, grandparents, teachers and sometimes even strangers. Parenting from a distance was deemed to be more emotionally liberating and street smart. However, with the advent of the virtual world, where distance never really mattered, parenting became the only exception that appeared like the rearview mirror – children appearing much closer than they thought.
Parenting matters now more than ever
While it is easy to conclude life has hit us all so hard and sudden in the last two years, it is children who have faced the maximum brunt. This is chiefly because of their inability to process life as clear as we can and communicate their feelings as best as they can. This tiny human species that was designed to thrive outdoors is now caged inside and made to stare at an unfamiliar screen. These happy-go-lucky souls which were designed to grow through innumerous human contacts are now marooned on an island. Only their parents are their lost hope and the last boat out.
Parenting in this virtual world calls for a lot of self-discipline and foresight. This means a lot of sacrifice and setting boundaries. In other words, trying to simplify life to such an extent where only a few things matter. Otherwise, it is impossible to do justice to career, family and mental wellbeing – all at the same time. They say there are few things you can’t recover like time, words uttered and an occasion after it is missed. A wise parent knows the importance of time – the NOW. They know money can be made or lost anytime. But a child which has not been properly reared will only bring shame and discontent for a long time to come.