PRENATAL CARE

Actions are the seeds of fate, deeds grow into destiny.

When a seed is sown into ground, you cannot immediately see the plant. With time and intentional efforts, it grows into a large tree. Then the flowers bloom and only then the fruits can be plucked.

The best outcome is ensured by proper seed and noble intentions for nurture in right direction.

The pre-conception efforts if followed by right parenting endeavor in prenatal and early years of the child, it would be useful for the youngster for developing balanced personality.

For the purpose of family, nation as well as total humanity welfare in mind, we are trying to understand measures we can take to create well-mannered young generation. In last article we discussed the formula for procreative conception. The period from conception to the birth of baby is also important. Can we use this period for the development of a child? This article tries to discuss this.

Classic Examples of Prenatal Education

We all are aware of story of Abhimanyu in the world famous epic Mahabharata. While Shri Krishna explains Chakravyuva (certain battle field arrangement) to his sister Subhadra, with fetus in her womb i.e. Abhimanyu, listens to same of its part. Later, he used this knowledge at the time of Mahabharata war. Examples of prenatal education are also found in the biographies of Bhagwan Buddha, Bhakta Pralhada, Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule & Vir Sawarkar. The recent example is Tabla Maestro Zakir Hussain. Except these occasional examples, we do not see easy availability of prenatal education method to common people. On the other hand, many years modern medicine had declined that a child can understand and learn during prenatal stage.

Prenatal Education – Opinions of Experts and Scientists

Earlier scientists thought that a fetus has no awareness of the environment in a womb of a mother. Recent experiments in this field has Proven it wrong. A fetus has perception of many kinds. This Knowledge plays very important role in his growth and development. This is the opinion of French expert prof. Jean Pierre Relier. According to American expert Fredrick Wirth, fetus has deep impact of your emotions, thoughts & action during prenatal stage to post birth stage.

Canadian Expert Thomas Verney says, the experience from the moment of conception is important in the development of brain. Child’s personality, nature and high thinking ability develop on the basis of it. Worldwide research has now proved that prenatal education is necessary for nurturing the future generation not only in the interest of an individual or family but also for world peace and security. For last several years, number of research papers are being published by scientists explain the importance of prenatal efforts. Summaries of some  research papers are given.

Some latest research references.

Pregnant women respond to music with stronger physiological changes in blood pressure 
Date: May 20, 2014. Source: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft

Summary: Pregnant women, compared to their non-pregnant counterparts, rate music as more intensely pleasant and unpleasant, associated with greater changes in blood pressure, a study has demonstrated. Music appears to have an especially strong influence on pregnant women, a fact that may relate to a prenatal conditioning of the fetus to music.

Fear of Childbirth Predicts Postpartum Depression

Jan. 3, 2014 — Expectant women with prenatally diagnosed fear of childbirth are at an increased risk of postpartum depression, according to a study of over 500,000 mothers in Finland. Women with a history of depression are at the highest risk of postpartum depression. The fact that fear of childbirth puts women without a history of depression at an approximately three times higher risk of postpartum depression is a new observation which may help health care professionals in recognizing postpartum depression. The results were published recently in BMJ Open.

Exercise during Pregnancy Gives Newborn Brain Development Head Start

Nov. 10, 2013 — As little as 20 minutes of moderate exercise three times per week during pregnancy enhances the newborn child's brain development, according to researchers at the University of Montreal and its affiliated CHU Sainte-Justine children's hospital. This head-start could have an impact on the child's entire life.

Babies Can Learn Their First Lullabies in the Womb

Oct. 30, 2013 — Infant can recognize a lullaby heard in the womb for several months after birth, potentially supporting later speech development. This is indicated in a new study at the University of Helsinki.

Capacity of Fetus to Acquire Knowledge

A person gains various experiences during his life time. Brain is sensitive to the experience of every moment. But brain is most sensitive during prenatal and post birth stage few early years when brain’s development takes place at maximum speed. Emotions of mother affect fetus in her womb. If mother is stressed, a hormone called catecholamine is produced in her body. It reaches to the fetus. Fetus experiences much more stress than a mother. On the other hand, if mother has soft & tender emotions of love then hormones called Endorphin, Oxytocin are produced in the body of mother. These hormones reach to fetus and affect positively.

Prenatal Progress of A Fetus

Fetus starts experiencing and learning from the first moment of existence. Therefore condition of a mother and her surroundings are important at this stage. Growth of a fetus is known to take place as follows:

15 days: First cell of a brain is created.

3^rd week: First heartbeat.

3^rd month: All organs, which a developed person has, are created.    

4^th month: Starts listening.

5-6^thmonth: Fetus can listen very well. Remembers stories/songs heard. 

7^th month: Fetus can listen & see. Understands smell, taste and touch.

8^th month: Memory and decision making activities start. Fetus dreams, prepares himself to take birth.

9^th month: Fetus weighs approximately 3 kg. Heart circulates around 300 gallon blood. When growth is complete fetus sends message to the mother through brain. Labor pain begins and child is born.

Thus as the life and organs develop in pre-birth stage, the learning or nurturing of the fetus takes place. This process can be used for the better future of the child by intentional and planned efforts by the parents.

Important Information for Parents

If you want to impart prenatal education/sanskars on child, the main responsibility of it lies on mother and father. “I/We will behave as we like, as we wish, but my child must be good behaved and well-mannered”. Such attitude on parts of mother and father cannot be considered logical and scientific. It is important to cherish the feeling that parents desire this child from the bottom of their heart and they are eager to welcome and receive him/her in this world.

It is important to eat nutritious (Satvik) diet*, be happy, having tension free behavior, avoid all kinds of addictions and bad habits.(*Refer: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sattvic_diet)

Mother should stay among the people who care for her. She can lovingly care more for the fetus, if she gets security, care and love from her family. If conception takes place with resolution of a couple and later, they lovingly take care for fetus till its birth, it will benefit the child throughout his life. Temporary psychological tensions and troubles do not have particular effect on fetus. But long term, severe tensions of a mother creates possibility of adverse effect on fetus.

Prospective parents should deliberately try to remain calm, balanced and maintain satvik (pious) nature during prenatal stage of a child. Hormones created in mother’s body during this stage plays important role in developing brain cells and later personality of a child.

In prenatal stage, if you nurture child with love, affection and unwavering faith, then a child can learn behavioral skills in his life at a proper time.

A role of father is also as important as that of mother.

It is important to communicate with love and affection in every possible way with the child in prenatal stage. During prenatal stage, do not try to teach child anything. Just convey that you love him and eagerly wait to welcome him in this world. This is enough for effective communication.

Do all this while doing your day to day activity, job and business.

Prenatal Help from Manashakti Research Centre

At Manashakti, the work of prenatal sanskar is going on for last over fifty years. A 3 day study camp is organized at Lonavala and one day seminars are organized for sizable groups of child expecting couples at different towns all over India as per demand. Every year more than thousand couples are benefited from this training. A thesis is published based on information collected from the 2000 children with prenatal sanskars. It is now proven that these efforts are beneficial to child in his future life.

Garbh Sanskar (Prenatal Education)
(http://www.manashakti.org/content/garbh-sanskar-prenatal-education-experiments)

Every parent wishes to have a talented and virtuous child. All virtues can be acquired through the Sanskar (i.e. purification) process. Today, science proves that the fetus can learn and memorize; and hence, good values can be imparted to it. Manashakti is experimenting with and propogating the concept of Garbh-Sanskar since 1961 and has received international acclaim too! Thus, to procreate a bright, healthy & cultured baby,  literature and products are available.

To maintain good health, it essential to practice Yogic postures (Yogasane) consistently, and during pregnancy, this becomes even more important. Doing yoga would go a long way in reducing transient problems/disorders during pregnancy, and for an easy and natural delivery. 

Contents:-

1. Prayer

2. Preliminary Yoga for warming-up

3. Yogic postures to be done specifically in each pregnancy trimester

4. Shanti Mantra

5. A booklet showing various yogasanas.

This Garbhasangeet has been specially created to develop courage and peace in the baby-in-the-womb, as also, as a service to the society.

This is an unsurpassed music for the baby in the womb. It is an excellent way to infuse good values in the baby, and strengthen the bonding, with the fetus.

Contents:-

1. Gayatri Mantra ( Rag Yaman and Rag Bhairav)

2. Rag Yaman, Bageshri, Bilawal, and Todi ( Vocal)

3. Rag Lalat, Rag Kedar ( Violin)

4. Parade Song
5. Garbhopanishad, and a

6. Western composition.

The would-be parents are expected to listen to this music every day, soon after the conception is confirmed. This would go a long way in reducing their stress, and also impart good values to the baby through the medium of music!

Books / Publications:
 (http://www.manashakti.org/events-schedule/books)

Detailed guidance about how one can impart best prenatal sanskars with help of prayers, music, story, reading, games, diet, Yogasanas and meditation is available from Manashakti prenatal education project. This project aims at creating new well-mannered generations to build nations to serve the humanity at large.

Post Birth..

First seven years in the life of child after birth are important for the development of the emotional part of the personality. These are very relevant and useful years for the proper parenting efforts. This would be the topic of our next article.

Vijay R. Joshi.

EVERY CHILD IS UNIQUE IN NATURE

 Every child is Unique and needs unique way of teaching / educating.

The general review of the present conditions of young generation will reveal that younger kids are capable to grasp a lot more information than any previous generation. This young generation seems comparatively more aware of own self, free of inferiority complex and know about their desires and ambitions. They are also eager to learn and try new things in life. But simultaneously, largely they seem to chase materialistic pleasures and are no fan of discipline. They are also self-centered and ignorant of value based lifestyle. 

Though we do not like to generalize, the above conclusion, it is derived from the contacts made with several youngsters in schools and colleges through various field activities of Manashakti Research Centre. However, there is no point in denying the fact that today we see different kind of generation-gap which is widening faster. Of course, problems in rural, urban and metropolitan areas are different and they do vary as per the economic class. Nevertheless we find growing tensions at student and parent’s level everywhere. Thus it appears necessary that individuals, institutions, organizations and strategy makers should review problems and the root causes objectively to find appropriate solutions. We shall try to analyze in this context. 

Educating-global-citizens-for-the-21st-century

Mind and Life Institute Conference, October 2009 at Washington USA had detailed deliberation on this subject.
(http://www.kosmosjournal.org/article/educating-global-citizens-for-the-21st-century/)

How can our educational system evolve to meet the challenges of the 21st century? How will we educate people to be compassionate, competent, ethical, and engaged citizens in an increasingly complex and interconnected world? The urgent challenges of a globalized and interdependent world demand a new vision of world citizenship that is not confined to national boundaries, but encompasses moral and ethical responsibilities to all humanity. People coming of age in the 21st century will need to develop unprecedented levels of intercultural cooperation, mutual moral concern, creativity, and skill in effectively addressing the challenges of the world today—challenges economic, ecological, and inter-cultural/religious in nature. An education that will prepare young people to become competent and compassionate world citizens in such a context. It cannot be measured only in terms of cognitive skills and knowledge, but must address wider aspects of the heart, including skills and qualities of awareness associated with conscious self-regulation, ethical and social responsibility, and empathy and compassion for others. The time has come to usher in a holistic view of education that empowers children and builds resiliency, hope and confidence.

Neuroplasticity allows us to take responsibility for our own behavior by reshaping our brain at the level of synaptic connections. Teachers and education policymakers gave infuriating examples of how the current school system fails and inspiring examples of brilliant solutions when you connect students to their inner worlds and to each other, and when students and teachers join efforts in radically new ways, sometimes even formalizing respect for community and values by collaboratively penning their own classroom constitution at the beginning of the school year.

The Western educational paradigm focuses on technical skills to mold students into good worker bees. Teachers expressed frustration at being told to teach to the questions on standardized tests. Shame on us for treating students as if their worth arises from how favorably they contribute to the mean and standard deviation of their school district’s scores! We can do so much better! Kids deserve so much better! This one-dimensional, test-score-driven approach has, to this point, largely ignored the importance of cultivating students’ emotional development and regulation, but these two types of education need not be independent. Research clearly shows that children who are more skillful in regulating their emotions score higher on memorization and reasoning exams. Students who are given the tools to more effectively manage their inner lives seem to learn more deeply. Children who are encouraged to care move beyond themselves to care about the collective and not just ‘me’ and ‘mine.’

H.H. Dalai Lama has made secular education, as distinguished from religious education, a priority as the scientific evidence of the consequences of a chaotic interior life are known. And universities such as Harvard and Stanford have heard the call. (REF - http://www.kosmosjournal.org/article/educating-global-citizens-for-the-21st-century/)

With the initiative of “Mind and Life Institute” at the end of the first decade of 21st century, the topic of Character development has been taken up by leading experts in the field. This is indeed a good news. But the emphasis seems only at “school level”. As seen below the learning process doesn’t start after the child is admitted to school, but right from prenatal stage, rather from pre-conception stage. The role of homes (parents), and other stake holders is also critical.

There are millions of children in the world who do not afford good school admission, rather any school admission. If planning at global level is to be considered, then more comprehensive approach appears necessary. Way back in 1960s, Swamy Vijnananand, the founder of Manashakti Prayog Kendra in India, thought on these lines and evolved rational, secular, all affordable approach.

We have to first understand and agree to the fact that each child is unique. Let us see some references on this.

Uniqueness of individual (child) 

(REF http://dailyedventures.com/index.php/2014/08/18/ellenbrandenberger/)   August 18, 2014
“Every student is unique in his or her strengths and challenges, and it is the job of the teacher to foster highly individualized learning in response to the student. Not the other way around.” – Ellen Brandenberger, USA.

I think the most important thing to remember is that high need in a child necessitates both high expectations and highly individualized support from teachers and school community members. While this is easier said than done, and can often feel like an uphill battle, each child deserves a quality education, but needs very different things to get there, whether it be a hot lunch, a literacy coach, a math tutor, or otherwise. 

REF - http://www.kidscount.com.au/en/parenthood/every-child-is-different

EVERY CHILD IS DIFFERENT

As parents, we are constantly comparing our children to others. Whilst this can be a source of great pride, it can also become a source of worry that something is wrong with our child or that we are doing something wrong as parents. Every child is different. Children develop differently, have different personalities, possess different strengths and require different kinds of support to meet their individual needs. All children develop at their own pace and in their own way. 

Children grow and develop at different rates. While their developmental pathways may differ, most pass a set of predictable milestones along the way. It is normal for children to experience developmental spurts and slow spots in different areas of their development over time. If your child is a little ahead or a little behind at a certain age - this is normal. Most of the time, given the right nurturing and stimulation, all children will catch up in the end.
All children have different strengths and vulnerabilities. Some are good at sport, others music. Some are very academic and others not. Some are highly anxious and others are more relaxed. Some children are good sleepers and others wake through the night for years.
The task of parenting is a constantly changing one as the growing needs and abilities of our children change over time. There is no ‘one-size fits all’ way to parent. What works for one child may not work for another. What worked when children were two years old may not work when they are four years. Adaptability and flexibility are key ingredients to parenting. It is normal to lack confidence in your parenting at some time. 

The uniqueness of each child

(Information based on the Philippines' Multigrade Teacher's Handbook)
Every child is an individual, with special social, emotional, intellectual, and physical qualities.
Children are unique. They are individuals and no two children are alike: physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually, each child is a unique individual. Because children are unique, even if there are common needs and characteristics that children of a particular age or stage of development share, they must be understood by their parents and teachers in their uniqueness, and their individuality must be respected.
For example, even in a single-grade classroom composed of 45 to 50 seven-year-olds, not all of the seven-year-olds will be reading at precisely the same ability level. They will also differ in the ways they are able to understand and solve word problems in mathematics. They will have different personalities—some will be shy, some will be confident, some outgoing, some quiet but competent. They will each have their own life experiences and feelings about themselves. They will have different likes and dislikes, interests and needs.
However, this does not mean that a teacher has to prepare 45 or 50 different lesson plans whether it is a single-grade or a multi grade classroom. Instead the teacher must be able to get to know and understand each of the children and prepare teaching/learning activities that will respond to and reflect these individual needs of children. As children work individually or independently, in small-groups or as a whole group, they will each benefit in their own way from these activities. What is most important is that the teacher, who is primarily responsible for planning the daily activities through which the children will learn, should know every child and keep track of how well each child is able to learn.

Role of parents in nurture is important as the role of a teacher.

As stated by one of the speakers in the Washington 2009 seminar organized by Mind and Life Institute,  in mass-accident,(like train accident where lot of people suffer different types of injuries and damages of different organs), each patient needs specific, special treatment which can be given by different specialist doctors… 
In the class room in a similar manner, the need and requirement of each child is different, requiring different special skills. But this  has to be attended by single or two academician teachers. The job is complex, beyond the reach of a teacher. This nor simple, not practical. Rarely some teacher would be able to meet such expectation. What to do? Can we depend entirely on teachers for child’s complete personality development? 
Let us start from the purpose of educating a child in its basic details.

Objective of Education

In dictionary ‘learning’ is defined as a modification of behavior through experiences. Function of learning is in accepting the experience one gets in life and accordingly making (appropriate) changes in own behavior.  Experience means learning as per situation. Thus objective of education is understanding overall meaning of these experiences to make right changes in own behavior. 

In a way, child who is getting an experience and factors responsible for giving child the experience are important in the learning process. For better education child must remain in a condition where he gets good experience. We must try to provide him favorable or at least, less adverse environment from the beginning of learning process. 

When Does Learning Begin?

If you want to make a perfect pot then you must use proper clay and water as a raw material. Insist on using good quality clay. Should use water proportionately to knead clay. Then only you will be able to produce perfect pot. The same principle applies to human intelligence and his internal-external personality that develops through this intelligence. The physical and emotional inputs in the child should be properly blended at appropriate time to cast a good character of the future adult.

Around 7 billion people reside in this world but we won’t find two people having exact same skin color, appearance, likes and dislikes, character, etc. This is the uniqueness only nature can create.  The human efforts can endeavor to shape the nature by proper care of nurture.

How Does Human Personality Develop? Which Things Do Affect It?

Every parent obviously wishes for best personality development for his child. This can make himself/herself happy in life. To fulfill this aspiration child must be given proper education as early as possible. When should we start this education? When does child begin learning? We must find answers for these basic questions. 

Learning from Prenatal Stage

The entry of child in this world is the moment of his birth. But before birth; child exists in his mother’s womb for about nine months. Does the child learn during this pre-birth existence? Manashakti Research Centre’s founder Swami Vijnananand undertook study, experiments and research on this topic since 1960. Based on the work of many scientists, researchers in world, it is now proven that acquiring knowledge, sensitivity and process of changing behavior by gaining experience continues in child even in the prenatal stage. Development of brain, sense organs and other life processes are on during the pre-birth stage. Favorable condition should prevail in prenatal stage to provide child with proper nurture (emotional imprints) and education. We have to put in intentional and pre-planned efforts for this. 
Detailed study courses and mind-body machine tests giving guidance to the parents on this topic are available in Manashakti Research Centre. We shall see the details later. 

Stages in Post Birth Development

Life develops step by step by various ways and means since moment of birth to the stage of adulthood and even after that. Physical, psychological and intellectual development, emergence of varied consciousness regarding different aspects of life takes place during this period. Every person has his own natural personality. But this personality transforms as per environment and the perception of experiences gained. Thus every person gets independent and unique features, shape and existence. This whole process is now studied under the branch of science, called ‘epigenetics’. Generally it was believed earlier that development of personality takes place mainly till youth, but recent research on brain functioning claims that this process continues during entire life till the moment of death. 

We can broadly consider three major stages in the post-birth child development process till attainment of age twenty one.

Stages of Development

First seven years after birth
Eight years to fourteen years of age
Fifteen years to twenty one years of age

The development takes place on psychological/intellectual levels as follows – Emotional development takes place in first stage. In second stage, mainly thinking or analytical capabilities are developed. In addition to these two things, setting goals, aspirations and ambitions, academic education, physical health and diverse aspects of entire personality take shape in the third stage.  

For the correct formation of personality on each stage, it is necessary to put in specific efforts based on the needs of the stage prevailing. If we keep this aspect in mind and evolve an appropriate strategy of education/nurture, we can achieve the results and develop the up-coming generations to successfully face the challenges of the changing world. 
This necessity which is based on mind-brain relation, is described in a beautiful aphorism in Indian traditional education system. 

लालयेत पंचवर्षाणि, दशवर्षाणि ताडयेत |
प्राप्ते तु षोडशे वर्षे, पुत्रे मित्र मिवाचरेत ||

(Parents or elders should nurture the child only with love, affection even pamper it till first five years of age. Later till the child becomes around ten years old it should be spanked and provided role model, exemplary behavior and appropriate environment to inculcate proper behavioral discipline. When the child turns around sixteen years (attains mature age), then he/she should be treated like a friend. They must feel like grown-up and their opinion matters. They need to exert on their own for the progress and necessary support should be made available from elders, if felt needed.

To ensure this process happen properly, responsibility distribution can be as follows:

Stage                                         Primary Responsibility

Prenatal stage                                  Mother, father
Till seven years                        Mother, father, teacher 
Eight to fourteen years                Teacher (main responsibility), mother, father (only guidance) 
Fifteen to twenty one years        Teacher, mother/father (limited to suggestions and advice only                                                                when desired,). Maintain friendly relations 

How Does Learning Take Place?

Having seen the stages of learning and the responsibility attributable to the nurturing elders, let us see how the process of learning normally takes place. 

Child acquires knowledge (ज्ञान) using sense organs (ज्ञानेंद्रिये). Through exposure to the outer world the learning takes place. These sense organs absorb entire knowledge available mainly during awake time of the day. That is to say the process of the knowledge assimilation takes place through seeing, hearing, touch, taste and smell. The experience creates stimulations in the child based on individual perception and as a result imprints in the memory system generate changes in behavior of a person later, in due course of time. This is in nutshell; the process of learning and shaping the personal traits or behavior. We must note that learning does not take place only in school but also in home and other places as well. Let’s estimate the extent each sensory organ participates in this process.

Sensory Organ                                                         Estimated Participation in Learning process 
Eyes                                                                            80% (seeing)
Ears                                                                            10% (listening)
Other sensory organ (skin, tongue and nose)                     10% (touch, taste and smell)
Total                                                                             100%

It means seeing and listening play major role and is very important for proper education and learning. 

Where Does  Learning Take Place?

Learning process continues throughout the day in waking hours. (Sleep period also can be used to certain extent for learning, but that aspect needs separate deliberation and is excluded in our discussion). So we must consider how time of day is spent. General classification of the time spent in a day by a student is considered as follows:

SI. No.            Place / Location                                                          Time of The Day (%)
1                    Home                                                                                             16 %
2                    School                                                                                              16 %
3                   Friends/Neighbours/other places in society                                      16 %
4                    Mixed (out of above three)                                                               12 %
5                  Sleep / rest                                                                                       40 %
                 Total                                                                                              100 %
    
We can see that students learn in school (mainly from teachers), at home (mainly from parents) and in society (from friends, neighbors, etc.) in almost equal proportion. Every concerned party should be aware and understand the necessity of efforts on every level to create proper imprints on the highly sensitive mind of the growing kid in his/her earlier years of life.  

Summary: Learning/nurturing process should be made available to the child since prenatal stage till the stage of attaining adulthood. We briefly reviewed the outline of this process in certain details. Everybody concerned bears the responsibility to create proper environment and avoid improper things. A child must get training/guidance not only for success in academic examination, but also for sound health and in shaping modest and responsible behavior/character. This will pave the way for success in the future, happy life. And the responsibility rests not only with school but also with home, media, policy makers and society at large. We shall see more on this in articles to follow.


Vijay R. Joshi.

Save your Child from Yourself - Swami Vijnananand.

(Extracts from book)

S.V. authored a book around year 1960 titled “Save your Child from Yourself”. In this book he has critically analyzed the role of homes (parents) and schools (teachers) in nurturing the child to develop an adult of proper character. We will see the extracts from this book highlighting his views in this regard.

In 2017, now also, we see that the analysis he has put forward before over 50 years; is still worth of consideration.

1. THE MYTH OF OUR AFFECTION

As parents (also teachers), our role anent child­ education stands out as an outstanding illustration of our capacity to delude ourselves

.

Thinking in terms of intelligent influence, children rarely exercise it on the elders and hence the question is unquestionably reduced to, whether our obligations towards the youngsters are duly discharged. An assertion unhesitatingly survivable is, far from proving worthy of their task, instead of educating the children properly, the parents head the battalion that spoil the child. Amongst neighbors, friends, relatives, doctors, servants, nurses, teachers and the mass amidst which the child is developed, the parent can be easily accused of stealing the march in the undeclared but continuous war against the child.

I beg no pardon of parents who relentlessly toil to caress their dear one. For, the blandishment and endearment the parents evince to their children; is merely a reflection of their own personality.  A kind mother is so, because she cannot but be kind. Without embellishment, the mute point to be taken into account is whether the kindness conducts her to any rational action or simply to an emotional impulse. Not infrequently, "kindness" is a misnomer to the mother's emotional outburst. Howsoever harsh and obdurate the statement sounds, the irrefutable truth is, if at all one chooses to believe that an external entity can influence a subject to that extent, parents lead the attack on the child. No matter what kind of weapon the parents employ anger, harshness, kindness, love or affection in their parenting activities for the child.

2.  Single sanguine hope - Determination to face the facts-acceptance of the unvarnished truths that corrects ourselves-is our single sanguine hope. It is never too late to mend.

3.  The wishful thinking of the parents is of no material consequence. Their progeny is neither a mechanical duplication of themselves nor a model that they like to produce. What is produced is the new-born unfathomable individuality. No father or mother ever has any control over the child before the birth with respect to anything whatsoever. Nature manifests a variety at each child-birth, using a pair of father and mother as medium.

4. Academic education - The parents who can afford to send their children to school should certainly send them for coaching. But it should not be lost sight of that a grudging and unwilling child is a nuisance to the school.

Citing several examples, author says famous authors, philosophers, heads of religions, scientists, artists, Play-writers had no rich academic background.

(Buddha, Shri Krishna, Christ, Mohammed, Zoroaster, Confucius, Nanak, Mahavir, Moses and Marx. Socrates. Bacon, Tolstoy, Omar Khayyam, O'Henry. Galileo, Copernicus, Kepler, Pasteur, Lister, Newton. Mozart are some such persons)

5. The purpose of life of the New Born - It is of paramount importance to bear in mind that the new-born springs up into existence on his own and has a pur­pose to serve. It is far more desirable to visualize that latent animus (a feeling of hate or anger towards someone or something) vicariously (experienced as a result of watching, listening to, or reading about the activities of…) assists him in understanding that purpose.

6.  Lessons of life -The ingenious (“cleverly inventive,”) baby remains concealed under the bodily protection and nourishment of the mother for nine months. Certainly, the child breaks cover, pushes himself out, only when he ascertains for himself that the zero hour has approached. He makes himself sure that he deserves independent existence and is capable of it. Child commences taking lessons of life at the very moment of existence, on his emergence as a distinctly separable individuality.

7. Purpose of education and life- For imparting true training to the child, we have ourselves to perceive the purpose of education and life, in a very comprehensive sense. Not only from the moment of birth but even before the birth, child can learn, Parents be aware of this.

8.  Aim of education. - What constitutes the pronounced objective of education today? Are we or our institutions capable of carrying out the responsibility set out before us? Positively not. At the outset, ascertain the aim, the directive and the motive of education. In formulating them (objective of education) we shall not go far wrong if we remember Morant's two top priorities, the formation of character and the development of intelligence; and it is well to have regard, also, to Mill's aim of transmitting and, where possible, improving  cultural heritage.

Kalnin held a high post in Russia and is taken to be an authority on education. Speaking before a celebration meeting in honor of "decorated rural school-teachers" as they call, he addressed, "What do we mean by education? We mean influencing the physical and moral attributes of the pupil, influencing him in a' definite direction throughout the whole of his ten years of study i.e. molding him as a human being”.

The champions of the cause of ideal education the world over, unreservedly give assent to salient features of model education we have underlined thus far.

(a)       The primary necessity is to impart moral education, a mission which is hardly mechanical.

(b)       The pupils possess receptivity beyond our stretch of imagination. They of course learn by our actions. Equally our words subscribe to build their wit, wisdom and personality.

(c)       The essence of education is character-building. Parents in the uphill task should share the bulk of the burden.

9. Too many cooks - Instructors, guides, relatives, priests and parents are too many cooks that spoil the broth. Ordinarily most of them are incompetent to take up the task, when they themselves lack moral conception as well as character. Over and above, they hang fire having no courage to admit it. It is in this sense that the proclaimed aims of education have admittedly ended in smoke.

10. Where the shoe pinches - The most serious weakness in modern education is the uncertainty about its aims: It is imperative to check up where the shoe pinches. The shoe, pinches where our own imperfection is evidenced.

11.  Can we “educate” the child? - The delicate embarrassment experienced in acceptance of the moral measure by the parents themselves becomes apparent. They accept moral education as the aim not to be ever fulfilled in practice. None dare pit against canons of morality in theory, therefore - `morality in education’ is an accepted goal. But none cares implementing the conditions put forth by ethical law, in the name of formidable ‘practical difficulties' in life. As if, all concerned; the parents-and the educationist, have come to an unwritten understanding that, `truth' should be talked of with unrestricted vigor; but practiced or taught strictly when remunerative.

In this world of unbounded, chaotic selfishness, the child only learns pure selfishness-more than his parents goad (to make a person react or do something) him to learn. Obviously because the child excels the parents in intelligence. When the child himself ascends to the adult age he learns by heart unqualified selfishness. He himself becomes chaotic. The parents have no clue to the Gordian knot because they themselves were very small kids some decades back and were taught untruth, howsoever inadvertently.

12.     WHAT DO WE TEACH THE CHILD - The children are zealously told the stories of fairies, deities, ghosts, demi-gods, angels, imaginary kings and animals who talk. Nothing is deemed heretical (of or relating to adherence to a religious opinion contrary to church dogma: characterized by heresy). The narratives are depended upon for increasing imaginative prepotency (the ability of one parent to impress its hereditary characters on its progeny) of the youngsters. No story-teller has ever given any thought to the damage certain fables (a short tale to teach a moral lesson, often with animals or inanimate objects as characters); bring about.

From purely logical point of view, no fault can be found with the kid. Aesop's logic itself is manifestly unsound. This is the case where a meritorious moralist like Aesop is concerned. He has mostly written good fables. Many other stories by various authors teach deceit (dishonesty), theft, robbery, mischief, spoliation and are frequently narrated to the children. This point of view conducts the parents to, enunciate four inferences.

(1) If the stories are to be fervently told to the children for having some "effect" - on the children the deceit, untruth and wrong reasoning poured out from the fiction must produce effect of equal measure, on the children. It cannot be eschewed.

(2) Therefore it becomes imperative to discard spinning stories apparently divulging amusing, harmless gist-­inherently leading to undesirable consequences.

(3) Publications of books which possess potential strength to build the character of the child should be encouraged.

(4) There is nothing wrong wholesale, in telling the child tales that conjure up a vision or indulge in reverie (a state in which you are thinking about pleasant things). Nevertheless, the narration must precede a necessary preamble like: Look here, boys, I am going to tell you the stories, so that you should develop into true, illustrious and wise men. The stories are imaginary and their detailed implications or meanings would be understood as you grow to maturity. Animals do not talk. But Aesop conjectured from their behavior what they would talk, and for the use of children, for you all to take lessons, he has written these tales. Now listen....

A suitable preamble on these lines for a parable of any author may mend matters and mitigate the injurious consequences.

These are small details. But they count. If at all we believe that children have elastic, tender impressionable minds, they cannot exclude the impression of cunning, guile, deceit untruth, revenge and the wrong outwitting the right.

The decisive question is whether we ourselves believe in the everlasting triumph of sin. If we apprehend sin to win, being honest to conviction let us tell no tale of moral value. On the other hand, if contrary is our faith, select such stuff as would elevate your child to a higher level, may be at the risk of some initial temporary passing setbacks and recurrent difficulties.

13.    GUILTY: PARENTS AND SCHOOLS

Kalinin, the deft authority on Russian education repeats the need to train the teachers, to the extent to which blame in a country like Russia could be isolated. He says, "Many teachers forget that they should be pedagogues, and a pedagogue is an engineer of human souls. Of course to be able to influence pupils in the required direction one must possess the appropriate talent. But that is not all. To be able conscious to exert a definite influence, the teacher himself must be a highly cultured and-let me say outright-a highly educated person."

The piteous plight is not different in England. 'In the past, many parents assumed that education was a function only of the school and not of the home’.

When the dad or the mom is in a catalepsy (nervous condition characterized by muscular rigidity and fixity of posture) about the children's behavior, they frantically hasten to lay the blame at the door of schools.

Prof Bell has furnished ample evidence indicating how both the parents and the schools neglect child welfare. His surmises are represented below in five points, so far as they affect the American situation.

Higher living standards,

Changing social conditions,

Small houses,

Nuclear families,

Both the parents doing job.

These are some of the problems due to which parents are not able to take proper nurturing care of the young kids. Then they expect schools to do this. Schools, for various reasons and aims accept this mission, but teachers alone can’t comply these needs. The role of parents is vitally important.

Teachers have to have themselves role model of ideal character and teach the values to the students. But this can’t be achieved by superficial means and guidance. So the methodology has to be newly devised.

The first school of every child is his home, and his mother is his first teacher. The education which he received on his own hearth (living room) remains with him for the rest of his life, because early influences, as a rule, make the most permanent of all impressions. The lessons and guidance received by the kid under the warmth of affection and love at home leaves long lasting impacts on his/her memories and are of use in all future life. To that extent the first school of the kid is his/her home and the first teacher is the mother/father.

Obviously the picture is disquieting. Education has frightfully failed to ascertain its aim, though parents have half irresponsibly and half in faith, entrusted their children to schools. The schools appear to be ignorant, parents either foolish, selfish or knave. The perplexing paradox is, even though the ruinous predicament is brought to their notice, instead of a melioration or a saner argument, they adhere to dilatory action and destructive criticism.

Whereas all concerned are conscious of the detrimental consequences, none finds courage to bell the cat, because the real cat is every parent's personal ego. None can encroach upon one's own personal ego-not even for the putatively darling fondling.

S.V. concludes the grave consequence due to the above situation as follows:

Whether one finds it convenient or inapt, there need be no two opinions on the assertion that a large share of blame arising out of the disturbed situation goes to apathy of the parents. Mr. Fine asks, "Something has gone wrong. The headlines tell us this, and the figures bear it out. Something has gone wrong either in the life of the child or in the life of the community, or probably in both. Have we as a society been deficient in developing laws to protect children from the delinquency (illegal or immoral behavior especially by young people) disease? Have we been cheating our children?"

Parents of the other nations should be under the illusion and fertile fancy that the crisis is exclusively restricted to America.

14.    THE ONLY HOPE

There is something wrong in education, in a wider sense, more educated nations naturally swallow more bitter pills. That by no means absolves parents in the rest of the world from being on guard.

Education is necessary; it must be spread subject to proper modifications. I, for one, am an ardent follower of knowledge and science. But foundation of knowledge must necessarily be TRUTH, inexorably. (impossible to prevent or stop).

In my other works of this series, it has been established, as authenticated and supported by the pure laws of physics that TRUTH echoes the only categorical answer to our problems of health diseases, fortune and every impediment in life. TRUTH constitutes the singular means and the end. Truth is not an empty bubble, a vain talk: it is the only hope of self-deceiving humanity. To the discernment that TRUTH alone teaches and nothing else, a responsible apostle of education can take no exception. The contrary is not valid. All teaching is a waste, provided untruth is cherished.

It is thoroughly going amiss to conjure up a vision that the child has no insight in the potential power of truth. He has. You have rendered yourself powerless to comprehend that he has. We talk of promoting equality in this world. Nature has bestowed upon us a supreme equality, equality to know truth. Barren discussions on ultimate Truth, absolute Truth, are of no avail. For practical purposes, "subjective truth objectively known with detached mind" formulates a workable definition.

In whatever manner our parental accountability has been glossed over (unrecognized, unseen, overlooked), the error may be a page of the past. Let us turn a new page. Let us indoctrinate and tutor the young children in the environments of pure truth unvarnished, unadulterated truth. Talk plain truth, teach plain truth to them. Certain inconveniences, awkward situations, impassable or impossible circumstance may crop up like a bolt from the blue. Ultimately, truth alone will disentangle all the riddles. In the ultimate philosophical sense, we are not answerable to anyone except to ourselves. Nevertheless, the expression "our children" then boils down to a mere pretense. Till Mr. Fine and Dr. Bell conclude that the parents cheat their own children and till parents offer no satisfactory rejoinder, onus on them to instruct them remains unchanged.

Parents are no doubt engaged in their own vexed questions. Modern life has pressed people too hard. Unbiased truth is not even occasionally flashed across the memory in daily hazard of life. But then is it not incumbent on us to fathom as to why we invite the vagaries (unexpected events or changes that cannot be controlled and can influence a situation) of this modern mode of life? We asked for it. If^-something is gone wrong, let us wait, search, explore, unearth and begin accommodating Truth.

With or without involving religion, truth stays over a desirable and wholly acceptable value. No argument that discards truth in this respect will be incontrovertibly tenable. Therefore we must at the cost of myriad inconveniences, recommence to realize truth. The nightmares of life in the ultimate sense, originate from our cravings and consequent rejection of truth. Let us revert the process. Begin on a clean slate, begin with the newborn.

The authorities working on child behavior have courteously accepted the sacred value of truth. But their approach is still improper, inadequate, and insufficient to deal with the outstanding issue. To illustrate; S.V. quotes as follows:

For instance, Dr. Arnold Gesell, who conducts world's foremost child-study-center, quotes the following illustration:

"Jimmy's mother had just come home from the store. She had left Jimmy at home alone for the few minutes that she was gone. After all, he was six years old and old enough she figured, to take care of himself and not get into too much trouble.

"But Jimmy's mother was wrong. Just as she entered the house, she heard a loud crash. Jimmy had climbed up on to the pantry shelf and had managed to knock over and break one of her best vases"

"'Jimmy, you naughty boy, what have you done?' she scolded him.'Did you break that vase?"

"'No, Mummy, no. I didn't,'" denied Jimmy vigorously, very much frightened. He hadn't meant to knock over the vase, and certainly he hadn't expected his mother to be back so soon.

"Now, Jimmy, I have always told you to tell me the truth. Admit that you broke the vase".

"But Mummy, I didn't”, protested Jimmy.

"So off to bed went Jimmy while his mother cleaned up the pieces.

"'It wasn't so much just his breaking the vase though that was bad enough," she told Jimmy's father when he came home. "But it was his lying about it that I minded so much. So, I did the only thing I could have done. I sent him to bed. He's just got to learn to tell the truth, and he's old enough to take the blame when he has done wrong."

"We don't blame Jimmy's mother for being upset at broken bric-a-brac, but she was wrong here on at least two counts (aside from her questionable move in leaving him alone and unsupervised while she was out).

"The average child of this age just does not have the maturity to admit his own wrong-doing and if questioned directly as to whether or not he has done a 'bad' thing, he will almost invariably deny it (or at best, if he doesn't deny it, will claim, Well, I couldn't help if).

So Jimmy's mother was expecting too much in wanting him to admit his own wrong-doing, especially right after it had happened. And when she asked him directly if he had knocked over the vase, she was literally pushing him into a lie. Because it was almost a certainty--had she but realized it-that a child of his age would deny his guilt when he was accused directly."

Four paragraphs later Dr. Gesell suggests that ‘though at the age of six the boy denies his responsibility at the age of eight he is likely to accept the guilt’.

S.V. says: So, according to the learned doctor. Truth the laudable, commences at eight.

No, dear doctor, truth is a continuous process. It is a habit. It does not operate on installment basis or leave gaps. Before irreparable damage is done, we sound the timely alarm:

Save your child and your 'self’ from yourself.  As is said by Goethe, "Man wird me betrogen, man betrugt sich selbst" (We are never deceived, we deceive ourselves.)

15.  THE CHILD IS MORE AWARE

Dr. Gesell's prediction that a child repudiating nuda veritas (the naked truth) at the age of six, may accept his charlatanism (cheating) two years later is merely hoping against hope, if not a rigmarole (a long, complicated, and annoying process). The child lacking courage to admit wrong at six cannot suddenly change over to unfeigned behavior as a rule. Without practice, meditation, persuasion how can he leave the habit of prevarication'? A mansion or an acropolis cannot be fabricated where an architect or an engineer can put on the eighth story after the sixth, without constructing the seventh one. There is no rationale in speculating that a youngster holds back a good habit unused for one or two years.

A child can, besides inborn inclination, go in for untruth only if an opportunity is available to him. Notwithstanding the inborn instinct towards favoring untruth, the pivot of the problem is, how could he first express a misstatement in the present life, unless parents allow him an opportunity?

Imagine an infant nurtured to the age of three. The child for three years is fondled without a word being uttered. As an inborn urge, the child will emit sound and twang, but in which language can he talk? No language. Belike, for some reason if parents do not give the little one an occasion to manifest untruth, the newborn may not reach renewed horizons of falsehood. It amounts to apparently negative yet practically positive gain. As the boy grows, he is more truthful in a sense, he remains exposed to evil attacks for a lesser period and so can be called a less corrupt individual in terms of untruth.

16.  NONE DENIES TRUTH THEORETICALLY

Parents, teachers and the taught formulate three sides of educational triangle, which, in effect, shapes itself into a perplexing (mentally confused) tangle. No party rejects truth in theory, yet accepts

It in practice. Children are, comparatively and intellectually, less conversant with paradiddle (typical sound of drum). Parents endorse truth. Supreme role of moral education has long been acknowledged by educationists. In spite of this unanimity, mal-effects of misconduct look increasingly periscopic (different views from periscope). From ancient Greek or oriental educationists, supporters of moral education have struggled to strengthen their point of view. Except for periodical lapses, when morality^, went in the background, moralists never lacked generous support, though in theory.

Not to mince matters, it can be asserted that an all ­sided solemn support for moral curriculum and Truth is diffused through. What is the apology and excuse which forecloses practice'? All concerned baffle description of the accepted solution in sheer bewilderment and pusillanimity (cowardliness). Someone has to bravely break the cover. It is hypocrisy on one hand, to say that Truth stands first and foremost and on the other hand to put forward excuses or palliations, when matters come to brass tacks. One can chime in with parents if they accept teaching unvarnished truth in principle, begin earnestly but slowly and ask time for integrated achievement. Such request is plainly discernible (noticeable, can understand). Nobody is in that impetuous scramble. On our commencement right now the next generation will be slightly invigorated (to make someone feel fresher, healthier, and more energetic):  which in turn can bear a hand to elevate its youngsters. 

The process may call for the endeavor of four generations-may be forty, but the responsibility of the present generation to draw^- on futurity (future time) becomes imperative.

To parents:  The author can predict how much annoyed the impatient parents may feel on going through the present essay. Some of them would be inclined to investigate whether the expostulation herein could be undone. An erratic may make a row that the innocent parents have been scurrilously insulted by my surmise. The author pleads not-guilty. The Truth is to be told for the perpetual, transcendental good of the parents. Aristotle said, "Plato is dear to me, but dearer still is truth". Howsoever fanciful, a dream is a dream. Romance of chimera (a hope or dream that is extremely unlikely ever to come true) does not last eternally. Fumes of fancy are bound to fade away in face of reality.

John Macy has bluntly remarked, "The notion that the parents are entitled to respect simply because they are parents is preposterous (absurd; senseless; utterly foolish). The stream of obligation runs strongly the other way."

The new-born, if accorded leave to pause for a second; may himself pray that his parents be endowed with strength to abstain from untruth. The little newcomer may like guardians to employ harsh means instead of false, misdirected affection. Mr. Fine suspected whether we deceive our own children, subconsciously having the same pinch of guilt. It is no use deceiving children, even assuming that they do not see through elder's selfishness and pretense (pretend, make believe) of love. Oscar Wilde observed, "Children begin by loving their parents. After a time they judge them. Rarely, if ever, do they forgive them." The way children take revenge on their parents is by becoming ungrateful and unworthy themselves. It amounts to a very hard, unexpected luck for parents particularly for those who remain oblivious of their own diabolical (cunningness of devil, evil) wrongs.

To keep clear of afflictions originated from ill-defined affection, a serene satisfaction for yourself and your dear ones, re-draft a new program for child-education. Impart ethical education having an excelling import that gives meaning to life. Our immediately being alive to the grave situation and taking instantaneous action is the only silver lining of the cloud.

After making initial observations as above, Swami Vijnananand, did not stop. As a real zealous social worker, he worked out plans to help the homes (parents) and schools (teachers) to assist in properly nurturing the child’s character development from prenatal stage to the stage of an adult youth. Without any institutional help, support, donations, grants on his own, he took his plans to the interested groups of people. Convinced by the merits of the mission slowly, one by one seekers joined the mission and the organization “MANASHAKTI PRAYOG KENDRA” took shape. We will see in the articles to follow the detailed outline of the activities carried out by this organization for last many years in the service to the society in nurturing the youths.

Vijay R. Joshi.