From the age of the dinosaurs, 90% of the average middle-class Indian Parent has dreamt of his/her child to be either a doctor, an engineer, or an accountant... This wish has been so deeply embedded into the collective unconcious of our society, that millions and millions of kids have been sacrificed to the wishes of their parents illogically-based desires...
Today as we stand at the dawn of a new century, where multi-cultural influences have imparted a new sense of logic to our way of thinking, this inherent wish has yet to be erased or else logically approached by the new generation parents.
Yesterday I had an adolescent patient, who had landed into severe depression cause he couldnt fullfill this very wish of his parents. The situation had turned so ugly that he even attempted self-harm a couple of times. The funny part is that none of his parents actually was ready to accept the mental-pressure this chap was under. They where more concerned about their social position.
Its really sad to see, and really heart-breaking to see 18,19, 20yrs old under so much pressure, and going into nervous-breakdowns.
today when the medical profession aint as lucrative as it used to be. Parents still hover on the past glories of certain old doctors...
I just question the logic of such parents who are dragging their children into the abyss of depression, for a fake certificate of prestige in front of the so called social tree..
kudos to you to write this out so wonderfully...im not a parent yet...but I will ensure that in my future parenting... i never make the mistake of forcing my children to become this or become that...it's not only about freewill, it also has a lot to do with aptitude, and likes/dislikes. Inspite of the fact that my parents let me choose my own career path, I still find myself on crossroads time anad again thinking if my decisions were right and do tend to get stresed. Imagine the same if I were stuck in a dead-end job, with no aptitude and doing it just to please my parents and their so called ego...GOD no!!!
ReplyDeleteAll respects to dear parents...but just an afterthought...and a question to all who force their children into becoming a doctor / engineer etc.."dont you have confidence in your own child's abilities and how you have brought him up? why do you resort to social pressures and in return pressure the poor kid and snatch his decision making rights?"...it's totally unfair!