Pranav Sreejayan week #12: A watchful Guardian
Pranav Sreejayan
A watchful guardian
There are many things I like to complain about in life: my grades, people I don’t like, the inherent failure of capitalism due to ethical markets being a lie, burned cookies and anything related even vaguely to computer science. However, one thing that I constantly complain about is, of course, my parents. We’ve all complained about our parents at some point or another, but the truth is that for 90% of us, our parents are the ultimate authority figures. At the same time they’re also the ones we look at during our times of trouble.
Your formative years are, of course, your most important times in terms of developing your morality, outlook, thought process, etc. For most of us, our parents have been with us since the beginning of this time period (shockingly, new studies suggest that you are born at a rather young age), meaning that they have an unmatched effect on us. Parents are our first teachers, and, along with their surroundings have an amazing amount of influence on their children’s growth and development. However, parents standing up for their children in terms of education is also important, as they are the only ones with a truly accurate understanding of their own child’s potential. Parental involvement really is a huge factor in children's growth and high levels of parental involvement have been shown to generally lead to higher performance in students, since the child is placed in classes more suited to their level (1).
Parents also teach their children about morality in the world and critical thinking about the world around them (2). Teaching them what's right, what's wrong and what's in the middle from a young age itself can lead a child to be extremely well developed in their reasoning capability and their interactions with peers. Teaching a child to understand that there's two sides to every issue, but still that there are places where their morality cannot be compromised, is an effective way to mold them into mature, understanding, and kind, but also at the same time fair, and critically thinking people.
Personally, I feel like sometimes this effect is not a good thing. After all, parents are only human. Any bias or bigotry that your parents have, you are more than likely to pick up, leading to a perpetuating cycle of flawed thought. There is, however, no solution to this, except hoping that more people will realize this and try to teach their children to be mature, critical thinkers in a world that is already divided by arbitrary lines.
Works cited:
http://www.parentguidenews.com/Articles/ThePowerofParentInvolvement
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/030572499103106?journalCode=cjme20#:~:text=Parents%20promote%20children%27s%20moral%20understanding,of%20more%20mature%20moral%20thought.
Hey Pranav! The contributions my parents have made to my life and character often go unnoticed by myself, but more importantly, they go unappreciated. I get mad at my parents quite often over simple things that really, to me atleast, don’t seem to matter, however it always takes me a while to understand and reflect on the fact that my parents only have my best interests in mind and that everything they say is solely for my benefit and interest. Acknowledging that is very important, and I definitely have to start making an effort towards recognizing that quicker and stop lashing out at my parents. This was a very important topic to bring up and was also very interesting to read. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHey Pranav, the influence our parents have on ourselves truly is impressive. They are there to influence us from the literal inception of ourselves into the real world and normally stays till long after we have matured into independent adults. Because so, it is common to see that our own lifestyles and preferences are very similar to those of our parents. For example, my personal preferences and bias almost exactly reflects those of my parents. My mother and father have both placed an extremely strong emphasis on their own education, attending one of the top universities in China. Similarly, they reflected this emphasis upon myself, always urging me to give my fullest attention in my academics, of which I have since been doing. Their influence on me is truly life-changing.
ReplyDeleteHi Pranav! Our parents are really some of the most significant influences on our lives. I've learned to appreciate them more now that I am older, and I do feel that I'll really miss them when I leave for college, despite how I can tend to get annoyed with them. It is also true that we pick up our parents' values and biases, as it is impossible for someone to be completely impartial. The environment they foster for us really shapes how we grow. My parents have always given me a lot of freedom, which I'll always be grateful for, as they haven't pressured me or made me feel constantly stressed to get good grades. As I realized this when I got older, it was a lot easier for me to look past the other things they were a little stricter or particular about because I knew how relaxed and understanding they could be. This was a topic I wouldn't have thought of, but it is really interesting and actually suits the theme of power really well.
ReplyDeleteI have a constant back and forth about my parents, have all my life, we have somewhat of a tumultuous relationship at times. Biologically we look for our parents in times of distress, that’s true but I think their response means more than people talk about. I think there’s an emphasis, at least there was for me, on the rhetoric of “I am the parent and if I say something you obey blindly” and I personally don’t think that works. I definitely do struggle with role reversal in my house, I think there’s a lot to be said about how people tend to end up either exactly like or exact opposites to their parents. I’d love to write more about that, this is interesting, thanks for opening a conversation about it.
ReplyDeletePranav, this was a very meaningful post. I think, especially, as teenagers, we start to see our parents as a nuisance rather than a shoulder to lean on. These days I get really mad and angry at my parents for the smallest reasons. In reality, I am not actually mad at them, but just tired due to the day; however, my parents do not know that. After these types of incidents, I feel so guilty because I did not really mean what I said to my parents. Your post has made me realize and reflect on how much of my personality, thoughts, actions, etc. all come from my parents. I think I need to remember how much my parents have contributed to my life and have literally and physically created me. Thank you for allowing me to reflect on my relationship with my parents.
ReplyDeleteHi Pranav, parents, especially before we turn 18, are a huge part of our lives and their actions can have a huge impact on us. They are the people we look up to, go to for guidance, and will always be there to support you no matter what. I am very thankful that I do not have to worry about not having someone that cares about me because they are a steady source of love that will never go away (at least for a while). When thinking about how appreciative I am for my parents, my mind always also thinks about the kids who do not have the luxury of having parents that care and teach them the right things or even having parents at all. The sad reality is that not every child has parents they deserve, but that only makes me feel more thankful for my wonderful parents.
ReplyDeleteHi Pranav! I also frequently complain about my parents and how strict and mean they can be. However, I never really hate them in my heart, because I know they are doing what is best for me and pushing me to become a better version of myself. I have learned plenty of things from my parents and I share many similar worldviews as them since they are a major part of my life. At times I take my parents for granted since they have always been with me so it is important to remind myself about everything they have done for me. One thing that I am working on is to express my appreciation for them. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHey Pranav, I think while it is important for parents to guide their children as they grow up, When you mentioned how parent involvement plays a significant part in our lives, it reminded me of how too much involvement can also be a hindrance in our development aka helicopter parenting. Without giving children the right amount of freedom to go and experiment with different things in life, children will only learn to be more reliant on their parents, essentially what helicopter parenting does. I am grateful that even though my parents are pretty strict on my education, they never crossed the line to the point of me feeling too pressured. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi Pranav, in my Chinese I recently learned the word for “control” and my teacher often used parental control to define this word. As she herself is a parent, she understands the control and nosiness parents have on their children’s lives, and education, as many of her students were forced by their Chinese parents to take the class. Even if at times I find it annoying, I am still grateful to have help in discovering which path is right for me to follow for my future.
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