Beware: Childhood Values Die Hard

LESSONS FROM A SALT SPRINKLER

Today, I was waiting by the roadside when my eyes fell on a little kid. He seemed to be doing something. It was dusk and the light wasn't too bright, so I leaned in with narrowed eyes to make out what he was upto. He was sprinkling salt all over with a salt sprayer!

Seemingly, his parents had taken him along to a little streetside cafe. They were sitting at a table waiting for their food to come, while the little kid had picked up the salt sprayer and was sprinkling salt all over.

Now, kids are always upto such antics. But this one deserves a mention because his parents dumbly were watching him do it. No reprimanding him, no asking him not to do it... not realizing they are setting themselves up for raising a kid who probably will never become a valuable citizen.

I may sound too far fetched, but this little act of theirs is basically a signal to their kid that anything that belongs to another, need not be valued. Salt is dirt cheap, but for the kid there is no difference between salt, clothes, watches or diamonds. He is learning a dangerous lesson.

If the same thing were happening at home, would the mom and dad be so totally quiet? Would they let him sprinkle all the salt they have purchased just for play? If they wouldn't let him do that at home, why let him do that at a restaurant? Just because the salt is not chargeable?

Silly people! I presume, that they let him act the same anywhere. As long as it is not ours, son, and we won't have to pay for misuse or damage, go ahead and spoil it. This little kid might grow up to violate traffic rules, throw garbage on the streets, care a damn about the environment and have no vigor to defend a cause. He might just end up as another useless citizen like the hordes of them we already hoard, that fail to think beyond the boundary of their own home and self. Values sown in childhood go a long way. But who is going to instill them?

Not school. School is just for developing scholastic skills. They will teach them to measure the distance between Earth and Jupiter, but not teach how to measure the impact of them garbage on the streets. Not TV. TV will teach them how to run behind hollow beautiful exteriors and lower one's self esteem, and not teach how to look beyond the obvious and feel better internally. Not religion. Religion will teach them how to chant prayers and pray for miracles, and not teach them how to go out and take charge of their own destiny. So it is left to the parents to instill some values, and they too are backing off in this case. And I can be sure this is not an isolated case. Tons of parents are backing off. They spend thousands on scholastic skills, and not a penny or minute on life values.

The society needs better citizens. It is upto the parents to make sure they instill the right values in their kids. Or we will collectively, pay the price - That of a society of self contained individuals who only drain from the collective but never contribute.