The challenge of keeping kids engaged.

It is tough keeping today's kids engaged in a constructive way. Which means, TV is not an option. Infact there was a study done recently which indicated that too much of TV viewing can potentially impact the behaviour of kids so much that the chances of them turning criminals on growing up was high.

And unlike our generation when TV was the only big deal, today's kids have a plethora of similar options that lead them to be sedentary. Aman for instance has his own laptop (my Dad's hand-me-down) and also a Nabi2 tablet. Am sure most kids today have access to better tablets like the iPad.

Ofcourse it is not like the kids don't want to engage in games or other physical activity. Just that either they don't have companions to play with, like in the case of Aman or the parents themselves are so busy with the demands of life that they don't have time to engage the kids.

To be frank, it is strenuous to engage kids and I know this from experience of playing football / cricket / pittu  and other games that I make up myself (like hitting a bottle with a ball) with Aman, and which lately Ishaan also joins. For one, all the game equipment is kid-size and it is not fun to play cricket with a 1-feet long plastic bat that is almost weightless (for adults) and a plastic ball. Ofcourse this is more than made up for by the satisfaction you seen on the kid's faces.

So, it was another weekend when the kids wanted to do something out in the yard. And there was Amy too in the group. I rack my brains and think of putting a swing on the tamarind tree in the yard. I have the rope, but I need a flat piece of wood for the seat. I am searching on the terrace for one that would be suitable, but without success. And that is when my eyes fell on the just-replaced tyre of our Suzuki Swift. Like any true Indian, we never throw such stuff away thinking it will be needed some time, though usually that time never comes.

Anyway, in this case, the tyre was the perfect fit for my problem and the swing is ready. Ofcourse Aman is hesitant since it is not easy to get on a tyre-swing. Amy being the fearless girl she is, cooly jumps onto it and is having fun swinging.

Now Aman's male ego takes a hit and he is now a little more open to the idea and finally gets the hang of it. Ishaan by nature is fearless and open to any challenge and cooly gets on to it with my help and while Aman is squealing when I push the swing, he is just having fun.

As they would say in the old MasterCard advertisement :
     5 metres of plastic rope : Rs30
     An old tyre : free
     Seing the smile on the kid's faces : Priceless. 

There are somethings that money can't buy. For everything else, there is imagination.