As Gobind & Jania are growing fast, it is becoming more and more difficult to handle them. They will get any thing done by lovingly saying Dada Ji, Dada Ji. Due to my sensitive relation and my utter weakness towards them, G&J are hesitant listeners and we find it really hard to discipline them.
Today I told them that I was no more 'Dada Ji' but a teacher. To my utter surprise, G&J were mysteriously disciplined with the ghost of teacher taking over my body. I was suddenly being addressed as Mr Kapoor. It made me hilarious. And the next half an hour, it was a heaven in the house.
I decided to coach them how to write beautifully. My mother Mrs Savitri Devi had also taken over the responsibility of teaching both me and my sister. She is the one who inculcated in us to write legibly and beautifully. She will often narrate a story from Mahatma Gandhi's childhood. She told us that as per Mahatma Gandhi, he was a very bright in his studies though but had a big weakness that he could not write it beautifully. Mahatma Gandhi realized this very late in his life when it was not possible to correct his style and curves of the words so as to look beautiful. He would often tell parents that they should make all efforts to first teach the kids the art of drawing before teaching the alpha-bets, as it will be impossible to change and improve their writings later on. So work hard when teaching young so that the kids do not not repent in their lives later as did Mahatma Gandhi.
As per Mahatma Gandhi autobiography, the excerpts of which are reproduced below:
"I do not know from where I got the notion that good handwriting was not a necessary part of education, but I retained it until I went to England. When later, especially in South Africa, I saw the beautiful handwriting of lawyers and young men born and educated in South Africa, I was ashamed of myself and repented of my neglect. I saw that bad handwriting should be regarded as a sign of an imperfect education. I tried later to improve mine, but it was too late. I could never repair the neglect of my youth. Let every young man and woman be warned by my example, and understand that good handwriting is a necessary part of education. I am now of opinion that children should first be taught the art of drawing before learning how to write. Let the child learn his letters by observation as he does different objects, such as flowers, birds, etc., and let him learn handwriting only after he has learnt to draw objects. He will then write a beautifully formed hand."
The above lesson has remained close to my heart and I have used the same principle on many kids in the family and extended families. To be frank the success rate has been phenomenal. So this time too, I should be able to emphasize on G in particular to write it slowly, making the right curves and keeping the size of the letters symmetrical. To my good luck, J being a natural artist, is placed in a better position, but has to learn with patience about the size and connectivity of the letters.
Bye Mr Kapoor!
March 15, 2012
© preet mohan singh., all rights reserved.
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