Dil Hai Chota Sa, Choti Si Asha

Do you like Bedtime stories? I know in today’s busy schedule mom and dad both are working, kids hardly hear any stories from parents and also from grandparents due to a nuclear family. But I remember many stories from my childhoods.

My mother is an excellent storyteller, she has the art of making every topic interesting. I have heard so many magical stories from her and about her childhood. I had been very fond of those stories and get fascinated in my childhood. I can listen to them again and again and even she won’t mind replaying those stories to me with the same enthusiasm and zeal.

She has gifted with a soft and musical voice, so whenever I was unable to fall asleep, she use to sing a song to me. She had so many collections of old Hindi songs and no one can beat her in Antakshari. Even though I cannot sing but she has created a passion for listening to old Hindi songs in me.

Beach is very close to my heart. Watching waves crawling gently to shores and seeing how it touch the sand and my bare feet was an amazing experience. We used to go every Sunday to Girgaon chaupati, so playing with waves and making a sand castle and collecting shells is part of my Sunday routine but something even more amazing and breathtaking was observing Sunset and returning home with kulfi or ice cream.

When you last watched Sunrise or Sunset along with your kids?

Parents today spend thousands of bucks easily on toys, daycare, invest in private school and save for college fund. I remember the days when things were not purchased but taken on rent.

My father was a government employee, so he had a day off on every 2nd and 4th Saturday, he used to take me to August Kranti Maidan for riding cycles. We can then hire a cycle on rent for an hour and so. I would not return home without having Gola (Kala khatta) from Bhaiyaji. My father played a very big role in my life for motivating and believing me. He pushed me, supported me and involved into my every activity with same dedication but never pushed his decisions to me. I am always thankful to him for giving me that freedom to choose my life.

I have many beautiful memories to cherish like swallowed a fruit seed and was scared that tree was going to grow in my tummy, used to think moon followed us while travelling, eating Pepsi cola, getting up early to watch Krishna and Mahabharata, but will the children of this generation have the such memories?

With conflicting commitments like parental work pressure, academic expectation, clashing family schedules and technology cited as some of the key problems modern parent face today. We are busy working hard for our child/children. This similar situation is running in everyone’s house. Unfortunately, the kind of hectic schedules that we have today coupled with increased disposable income, leads us to buy more materials for our children and spend less time on experiences.

Experiences which are created by my parents are my long-lasting memories which will remain in my heart and mind.

How many of us remember gifts we got on birthday? What toys we played with or what toys our friends had. If you just close your eyes and cast your mind back to your childhood, what you would remember? You don’t remember the material object, but the feelings and emotions connected with them. The smell of mom’s favourite food, the joy of running around with your friends, Sunday ice-cream treats, waiting eagerly to go to a native place, enjoy vacations with your cousins. We remember the games we played or the friends we played with.

So, don’t wait for the next costly vacation to create a memory for your child. When we make experiences a part of our daily routine, we ensure that we create memories and moment that bring us closure to our child and love ones. Share your feelings, tell various stories, take a Sunday walk, teach something new to them, enjoy cooking with children, take the small picnic nearby your house, leave notes in lunch boxes. Whatever you choose to do, make sure that your child will look back on these moments with as much fondness as you do on your childhood memories. That’s the secret of hacking into happiness.

Do you think of a childhood memory that you would like to recreate with your child or come with a completely new one of your own? Embrace your inner child now.

I am not saying that you won’t have bad memories, they are toxic and needs to be flushed out immediately. If you have some painful memories haunting you, please watch a beautiful video created by BrainGyan Academy.

So, what are your favourite memories that cropped up while you were reading this? Do share them below in the comment.

Enjoy reading.

Love,
Shweta Kalyanshetty