IN THE NOW! #BLOGCHATTERA2ZCHALLENGE

 

There is a concept that I believe in deeply and that is mindfulness, which talks about being present in the present, and doing things with concentration and dedication. This is something that seems to be missing in today’s world of electronic devices and the ubiquitous monotony of social media.

Back in school, we have made this a core concept, along with the twin concepts of gratitude and empathy, all of which together are essential in the make-up of a good human being.

                                                                                         Counselling Gold Coast

Remember our good old school days when we would study and play together with our friends? After school, we would rush home, eat something and be out of the house, again to be with our friends. That was the time we would stretch our limbs, play games like Throwball and Seven Stones, or Stapo, which was a favourite and helped greatly in eye-hand co-ordination. We were allowed to be out from 4 to around 6.30, but we would stretch it to about 7pm, and be reluctantly dragged in by our mothers, thrown into a shower and placed before our schoolbooks. Maybe a hour of television watching followed by dinner and then, off to slumberland. Those were carefree days, weren’t they?

Today’s children have it much tougher. From school, they are off to tuition centres for around two to three hours, and then they drag themselves back home, waiting to pounce on their mobile phones which have been waiting for them. Ten minutes on the phone, they get dunked into the shower, (the children, not the phones), but their minds are still on the social apps that they have been on. A cursory bath later, they sit in front of their textbooks, but they switch on their mobiles, off and on, their minds distracted, as they talk to or Whatsapp their friends. Post dinner, they are still hooked on to social media, and when they get to bed, their minds are still running chaotically, which tells on the quality of their sleep as well.

Vecteezy

Here in Johannesburg, P and V are strict about mobile usage. They set limits - two hours on school days, three on holidays maybe. The rest of the time the children are busy drawing, painting, playing together at the end of which there could be a flare up when both are sent to their naughty corners in different rooms. When they were younger, I was amused to see that a naughty corner existed everywhere – in stores, in restaurants and in shopping malls.

Zo gets a library book from school every day which she has to read after her homework. She is fluent and both she and Sam can recognize words easily, using the phonetic method. On holidays we play carroms or a board game. Of late, Zo has begun Sudoku on my phone and Math being her thing, she has picked up the nuances rather quickly.

Though their television viewing time has come down because Mooma and Nana are around, they can identify the logos of companies with ease as well as answer questions that flash on the screen. When we sit together and colour or read books, there is a bond that gets created, one that translates to sudden bear hugs and admissions of ‘I Love You’, all of which are more priceless than all the jewellery in the world.

Zo and Sam create a lot of artwork in school as well. At the end of every term, they have a big cover which they decorate into which all their creations are put in and brought home. Craft is such a fun and vibrant way to get children to be creative. P puts up some of the good ones on the craft board in their room. 

Just before we landed up in Johannesburg, the two were busy doing craftwork for us. You can see the beauties that they produced for us below. 

                                                                                            Artwork by Zo and Sam

Zo, Sam and I sit down and draw patterns that we like on certain days. Today, we created some artwork, and even though we looked at the same pictures, we drew them very differently. After all, isn’t it perception that makes each of us a crafty individual (pun intended!)?

                                              Artwork by Zo, Sam and Mooma; Collage by Priyanka Menon Rao

I am participating in the #BlogchatterA2ZChallenge2025.

https://deepties.blogspot.com/2025/04/in-now-blogchattera2zchallenge.html