Youth
Expectations
·
Give direct answers to direct questions. There are so many
questions popping up in the minds of our youngsters today. The means of social communication bombard them with a lot of information which is not fully assimilated. Youth is very straightforward in asking questions on a variety of topics from Religion to Sex. A simple straightforward answer is very reassuring rather than unnecessary hemming and hawing, or worse still evasive
answers. In case adults do not have the answer,
it would be quite OK if they said that they did not know. Then both could search
together for the right answer. Nobody is expected to be a walking
encyclopaedia or a computer with all the answers ready.
·
Show interest
in what we are doing.
In today's world, where very often both father
and mother are working outside the home, the youngsters are left very much to
themselves. But occasionally the elders
should find time to sit and chat with their children. They must find
out about their progress in the various
fields, share in their games and recreation, show
interest in their hobbies and their friends, and above all listen to them without
being critical.
The
capacity to listen is also a sign of love.
·
Treat us as if we are normal,
even when
our conduct seems peculiar to you.
Individual differences will always
be there. Values can be different, viewpoints can
differ, but if the channels of communication are open, understanding and mutual respect can flourish.
·
Don’t keep us young too long.
When the mortality
rate was high,
youngsters were quickly introduced into the adult world and they shouldered various responsibilities. But as
the mortality rate decreases, people are living longer, and so youngsters are kept out of the adult
world for a longer period of time. This is a very frustrating experience. Physically they are mature, intellectually and emotionally they have developed, but where responsibility is concerned, they are placed
in the background. As our youngsters grow, they want to handle more and more responsibility until they reach a stage where they can handle things all by themselves. That is the only way they will enrich their experience.
·
We need fun and
companionship. All work and no play makes Jack a
dull boy, is a well-known proverb. But older people seem to forget that and have a tendency to
become workaholics. As a consequence, they expect the younger generation to
imitate them. Fun and social life are essential for mental health. It would not be a bad idea if the oldsters could join the youngsters occasionally and "let off steam". ·
·
Make us feel our
home belongs to us. Reasonable tidiness and neatness is perfectly OK. But some people are so neurotic that they cannot bear to see a speck of dust or an object
out of place. The home is a place to relax, not
to be
wound up and sitting on pins and needles. All should share the responsibility of making it functional, but it should not become a
museum piece or a display room. Individual rooms will be decorated according
to the tastes of the occupant. It is not said that all must agree with the lay-out. As in other instances, one man's food may be another
man's poison.
