Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Walk out, or not?

If generation X thought ‘family is foremost’, for generation Y, are parents a pest?

Oprah: So now both of you are living with your (Abhishek’s) parents…
Aishwarya Rai and Abhishek Bachchan: Yeah.
Oprah: Now how does that work?!
Abhishek: You live with your family?
Oprah: No…
Abhishek: How does that work?!

…and there was a roaring applause. For years now there have been discussions and debates over India aping the West, and one of the bones of contention being youngsters wanting to separate from their families and lead an independent life. I was often puzzled when my friends would want to have a separate home, until one day I had an elaborate discourse with my cousin who is now happily settled in the US. “The motivation to move to the US was the thought of being away from my parents”, he’d mentioned. “For one, it’s an escape from the everyday explanations of one’s whereabouts. Apart from that, I wanted to handle my own life without being pestered about issues like cleaning, studying, spending money, watching TV or calling friends over. I used to have an argument almost every second day with my parents, but now that I’m away, our relationship is beautiful.” With the newer generation striding ahead of the past generation, such problems are prevalent in most homes. Sushma Virk, school teacher and mother of twin girls, gives a parent’s point of view, “There’s a point in time where parents have to control the children; probably during those early teenage years. And then there are times, early 20 onwards, when parents have to listen to the children because then they are mature enough to understand what’s good for them.” On being asked if she’d allow her girls to separate if her rules don’t go down well with them, Sushma said, “Not at all! As far as possible I will try to find a middle path. I guess this is the time when children want to have fun. So, why not let them live their way?”


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