Core Values

I read a very beautiful article written by Shobhna Balkrishna in today's edition of Times of India on changing values in Indian Society. The gist of the article is that there is a conflict in thinking between the old and the new generation which is the root casue of all the domestic problems. There is one school of thought which says that old generation should change their thinking along with times. Their thinking is not in synch with modern trends. While there are some who think that younger generation is expected to follow in their elders footsteps. While it is true that change is envitable and our thoughts keep evolving with the changing times, there are some core values which do not lose their significance even with the passage of time like honesty, integrity, compassion, Tolerance, Humility and respect. Parents should instill core values in a child in the early years of childhood so that when their child is grown up, these same values will help him shape his behaviour. A child observes the behaviour of his parents very closely and tries to emulate it in his life. Parents therefore, must exemplify what they want their child to be. For example, if the parents themselves smoke, they cannot expect their child to refrain from smoking . It will look ridiculous if they lecture their child on the dangers of smoking on health. Good parenting means being flexible enough to accommodate changes in lifestyle without compromising on core values. Today's parents have been obedient to their parents in good old days. Now the time has changed. They can no longer expect their children to be obedient to them. They cannot use authority to impose their will on them. They need to give them time and space to take their own decision provided the basic core values are in tact. They should never impose their own will on them else the consequences will be grave.