DS or not?

As parents, we have tried to steer clear of too much of media exposure for the boys, and especially Winkie as the older one. I have already talked about how much TV had impacted our lives earlier on, and now, even though we have cable television, the boys watch only recorded programs on the DVR and that too not everyday. And all they are allowed to watch so far are Curious George, Little Einsteins and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. We have watched these with them from time to time and the shows seem simple and childlike. We could expand their viewing library, but that would mean we would have to watch it ourselves first to see what would be right for them. And we have no time for that.


The boys, for their part, since they are not exposed to anything else, don't ask for anything else. For now, they are content watching just these shows.  It inevitably means, that Winkie is not savvy enough to hold his own in a conversation about anything else that a typical 7 year old boy watches. Which is no big loss according to me, but sometimes I wonder. Just a bit.


Like on the question of the peer pressure of buying a DS over this weekend. Having watched a few of his friends handle their own individual DS consoles and play interactive games, on a few occasions, the desire to have one of his own seized strongly. And we came to learn of it, when he hugged my legs tight, and shed a few self pitying tears. It certainly won our pity for him but not a confirmation that he could have one of his own. I spoke to a few friends, trying to get viewpoints to help us decide. The reason why there was even a decision to consider was obvious. Although our underlying belief (as naive as it gets) is that it IS possible to raise kids innocent of all these gadgets, doubt rears its ugly head from time to time, over whether it will make our child too innocent and hence socially inept to mingle and feel part of a crowd. We worry over him being the 'odd one out', and whether he will have the courage and the confidence to withstand that position.


Because at the end of the day, that's what it boils down to. If Winkie were capable of understanding why we impose these restrictions, and stand up to any pressure on the strength of these arguments, and feel that he is a normal kid, just like anyone else, no matter what they think, then there is no issue at all. But as adults itself, we grapple everyday with the weakness of insecurity and ego pressures, to think clearly on the strength of our own core belief system, so how then can we expect a child at such a tender age to become one with this great philosophy?


Yet, I cannot give up the belief that he will learn it one day and each stage of his life will give him opportunities to develop and exhibit it. And as parents, it is our solemn duty to open him up to this truth. That he is perfect in himself. That life is about the fulfillment of desire and also the sacrifice of it. That intelligence is about developing the ability to discriminate between the two kinds, and have the strength of resolve to say no to oneself. Its a tall order, but any worthy cause will never be short of a challenge. And the responsibility of one's life and character to mould, is perhaps the worthiest of it all.


Today, Winkie does not have a DS or a PS or whatever else acronym it is that captures the market fancy and frenzy. It doesn't mean that we will never buy him one, but for now, some part of his nature has not pushed him to push this with us. He has displayed a healthy curiosity as a child to experience what he sees his peers enjoying. And there is nothing wrong with that. It is only our more willful adult mind that casts our own doubts into the mix, making the matter more complex. Today, Winkie still revels in the idea of a quiet time. We had unlearned that precious lesson over the past several months, but now, I have got him back on that track again. Every afternoon, he has a choice to either take a nap if he is tired or spend some time quietly and preferably with a book. And to get him motivated, I have stocked him up on his favorite Magic Treehouse series. And every afternoon, when I enjoy my own quiet time, either with a book or a nap, I see him poring on chapter after chapter in this utter concentration, which I just love. So much that I have taken several pictures of him just reading. Read read read. And if he is done with the book, he knows how to stay within his own silence. He knows better than to wake me up from a nap, so he will just sit with some random object in his hands, sometimes as random as a pencil or my hairclip, and fly it up in the air, soft sounds coming from his throat, aiding in his mental game. Thus he patiently bides his time, until I am ready to come out of my own little cocoon and be interactive once more. And I think this is a very precious thing indeed. Being able to be with yourself, without boredom. And I'd like to keep this going for as long as possible!