the right mould!!!

A little girl at the school gate leaves her mother’s hand and runs inside, telling her mom not to come to pick her up. Standing there,  I was wondering why doesn’t the child want her mother to come and pick her. Unable to control my inquisitiveness, I asked her, “Beta, why shouldn’t mumma come to pick you?”. Aghast I was at the reply! “Mumma has a small cheap car.” I gave a feeble smile and let the girl go. But the words kept echoing in my ears and I kept on wondering what made such a young mind think like that.

The answer lies with the way we respond to things. On the road if an Audi or a BMW or a jaguar or for that matter any such car passes by, we ogle at it. The reaction in all probabilities is “Ooo! that’s what we call a car.” The young impressionable mind sitting at the rear seat simply imbibes it. “keep the phone away, its expensive….don’t touch the TV, its imported.” Aren’t we exposing them to brand consciousness?

The solution is not to stop exposing them, but to expose them the right way. Tell them about such brands but also tell them about the effort that goes in earning money to buy them. Tell them the difference between purchasing and owning. The concept of piggy bank (wonderful way to inculcate the habit of saving, I think!!!) does not exist now. Small amount of pocket money use to be precious, but today its whenever, whatever. The amount of pocket money kids get these days is more than my salary at my first job. (how much I don’t want to sound like a relic!)

The potter’s mould has to be right for the urn to be of the right shape. Think!

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