What Desi Parents Should Tell Their Kids During Board Exams

Video Editor: Puneet Bhatia

Tis the season of board exams – a time when students of the 10th and 12th grade are knee-deep in their books, trying to live up to the expectations of not just themselves, but also of their parents. So parents, listen up! this is what your kids need to hear today.

At a time when relatives become a little too nosy and pressurize students into pursuing a certain stream, parents must create a conducive environment in which their children can actually learn something meaningful, and not just mug up lessons.

There are too many things that have have been fed to us by popular culture over the years, but in reality, don't really matter.

The 'Sharma ji' template is over-used and over-hyped. It can be any other neighbour with a different surname, but the template is the same. Not only does it add more pressure to the sons and daughters of Sharma family, but also creates a stereotype that needs some debunking. Tell your kids not to fall into the same trap.

'Why Go Mainstream?'

You’ve heard of a doctor from a family line of doctors, a lawyer from a family of lawyers and so on. But when was the last time you heard of a photographer from a long lineage of photographers? or, a painter for that matter?

Whenever there’s a budding artist or a singer or a cricketer in a family, she is inevitably asked “but, what will you do to earn a living?” These hobbies are always considered secondary, mostly because people think they don’t pay well.

For instance, even if you show your parents five cases of a successful soccer player, they will tend to focus on that one player, who, because of whatever reason, could not make it.

Financial pressures, societal expectations may act as hurdles. Don't let these come in the way. Tell your child to give it a try, and trust yourself to help him/her in the pursuit.

Marks Don't Maketh Thou a Man

Through out my school and college days, I came across people who excelled academically, but weren't really a good human being. It reminds one that being literate is not equivalent to being well-educated.

Celebrate with your child no matter what the score, to instill confidence in them that you’re there for them. However, don’t let that comfort turn into complicity when you see their disrespectful characteristics.

Invariably, during school days, marks do shape how a kid perceives oneself. Hence it's more important that they learn how to deal with them.

It is a little privileged for some people to say that “marks don't matter,” of course they do, but not in the long term. Right now, your child must know that mental health is above everything else. It's important that they are able to take care of themselves, so they have confidence in carving out their life and include you in the process too.

The debate over how fruitful these board exams are for shaping one's future is for another day. But as parents, you must realise that this period is extremely crucial in shaping the mind of a student.

Stand up to their expectations, and let them know all of this. Because it might seem like the toughest period of time, but remember, this too shall pass.