Childhood, they say, is one of the best times of a person's childhood. The small mistakes that you commit, the small lessons that you learn, the small accomplishments - each of these matter a lot and stay with you throughout your lifetime. So, what happens when a childhood gets eclipsed by fan-following, mass appeal and big bucks? Does it always remain normal or rather is it possible to keep it normal.
Let’s try and analyse this. All of us at some point or the other have gone through the time, be it at a school interview or competition or even the regular exams, where our parents have expected, hoped and admonished us in a bid to make sure that we perform better. So, if these children make an effort to master an art, which is either obtained as a result of divine blessing or parental pressing, there is absolutely no harm in it. The child excelling and displaying his skills at the best-possible platform with maximum reach definitely does add on to his confidence levels. Competitions are the best boosters and children too are not unaffected by adrenalin gush. But, the problem arises when this very art that the child has mastered, converts him from an enthusiast in the field to a professional. The lure of money with the craze for appreciation not only inculcates a superiority complex in the child, but also distances him from the absolute reality and makes him believe that the illusion is true and he can live with it forever. This is where the problem begins. The child who has now become a professional and is dealt with in a professional manner (in pecuniary terms) becomes used to doing things based on the results. The parents groom the impressionable mind in such a manner that the child starts believing the illusionary world around him. Heavy pay packets and people following them asking for their photographs and autographs becomes the kick for them.
What parents forget is that apart from the talent, it is the childhood innocence and the resemblance of the child with the character being portrayed which makes the performance amiable. The same does not hold true when the child grows up. The very child whose performance was appreciated as a child star may not be able to withstand the pressures when he grows up. The other way round too is possible. But, the cases in the vicinity suggesting so are quite few. Majority of them have proved to be duds. The reason: Not that they lack the talent, but the talent that they possessed was nipped in the bud and was kept restricted to primitive level. That child; who could have easily grown up to become a reputed name in his or her field owing to the expertise becomes nothing but a namesake of that one remarkable character he played.
But a close look at it suggests that all of it can be averted. The mental growth of the child should never suffer owing to the professional heights he conquers. The realisation that more is to be learned and can be learned combined with the academic expertise can make the ordeal easier.
Provided parents make the conscious effort.
Manjiri
Let’s try and analyse this. All of us at some point or the other have gone through the time, be it at a school interview or competition or even the regular exams, where our parents have expected, hoped and admonished us in a bid to make sure that we perform better. So, if these children make an effort to master an art, which is either obtained as a result of divine blessing or parental pressing, there is absolutely no harm in it. The child excelling and displaying his skills at the best-possible platform with maximum reach definitely does add on to his confidence levels. Competitions are the best boosters and children too are not unaffected by adrenalin gush. But, the problem arises when this very art that the child has mastered, converts him from an enthusiast in the field to a professional. The lure of money with the craze for appreciation not only inculcates a superiority complex in the child, but also distances him from the absolute reality and makes him believe that the illusion is true and he can live with it forever. This is where the problem begins. The child who has now become a professional and is dealt with in a professional manner (in pecuniary terms) becomes used to doing things based on the results. The parents groom the impressionable mind in such a manner that the child starts believing the illusionary world around him. Heavy pay packets and people following them asking for their photographs and autographs becomes the kick for them.
What parents forget is that apart from the talent, it is the childhood innocence and the resemblance of the child with the character being portrayed which makes the performance amiable. The same does not hold true when the child grows up. The very child whose performance was appreciated as a child star may not be able to withstand the pressures when he grows up. The other way round too is possible. But, the cases in the vicinity suggesting so are quite few. Majority of them have proved to be duds. The reason: Not that they lack the talent, but the talent that they possessed was nipped in the bud and was kept restricted to primitive level. That child; who could have easily grown up to become a reputed name in his or her field owing to the expertise becomes nothing but a namesake of that one remarkable character he played.
But a close look at it suggests that all of it can be averted. The mental growth of the child should never suffer owing to the professional heights he conquers. The realisation that more is to be learned and can be learned combined with the academic expertise can make the ordeal easier.
Provided parents make the conscious effort.
Manjiri
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