One quiet morning, grandmother gently called her eight-year-old grandson and asked,
“ Sweet Child, how do you spend your day?”
With wide-eyed innocence, he replied,
“Nani, I wake up at 6 a.m., get ready, have some milk and rush to catch my school bus.
When I come home, I have lunch and rush to tuition class.
When I am back, I drink milk and go for cycling.
On alternate days I attend karate class and music class.
I finally get free around 8 p.m., Nani.”
High Expectations – A Growing Reality
This small conversation reflects a growing reality of how today’s children face intense pressure. With the intention of providing a bright future to their kids, parents often load the little ones with a tightly packed schedule of academic classes, sports, skill development and more, leaving little space for carefree joy. Parents expect high scores and comparison with other students makes them more tense.
Once considered a stigma, tuition has now become a status symbol.
Moreover, The shift to nuclear families and the absence of grandparents has made matters worse. Caretakers may be present, but the guidance and warmth of a parent’s love is often missing.
The Price of Childhood
And so, the most precious years of life are quietly slipping away. The giggles, the daydreams, the carefree afternoons of play—all sacrificed in the name of ambition. Childhood, once a season of wonder, has now become a race track.
Is this really the “bright future” we want for our children—or are we sacrificing their today for a tomorrow that is uncertain?
The price is a childhood quietly emptied of play, rest, wonder, and the simple joy of being carefree.
It is high time we realized this
It is time; to think over and
To listen to our children’s quiet voices;
To give them back their afternoons of leisure, their playtimes and real laughter;
To realize that a happy childhood is not a luxury, it’s a foundation for a whole, fulfilled life.
Let’s not raise children who are prepared only for the future.
Instead let’s raise children who are allowed to live in the present and be happy now
Author – Gurcharan Kaur
Editor’s Note:
The articles and stories featured in Eternal Voice are the personal views, narrations and experiences of their respective authors. We have included these contributions in our publication for the human and social value they provide, offering a diverse range of perspectives and narratives. While some small edits are done by the Editorial team for readability and publishing, the opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Eternal Voice or its editorial team.
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