“If a country is to be corruption free and become a nation of beautiful minds, I strongly feel there are three key societal members who can make a difference. They are the father, the mother and the teacher.” ~ Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam
Above quote signifies the role of parents in nation building. To raise good individuals and responsible citizens, one of the qualities we need to develop in our next generation is Patriotism. Patriotism is the love, devotion and respect towards one’s country. With 75th Independence day around the corner, when our entire nation is celebrating “Azaadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav“, let us discuss about how to instill patriotism in our children.
Celebrate National Festivals meaningfully:
National festivals are celebrated for a reason. It shouldn’t become just another holiday for children. Most of the private schools give holidays and celebrate it with only selected group of people, mainly higher grade students and teachers. Because of this, many children will miss out the opportunity to celebrate our Nation.
What if children don’t get to participate in school celebrations, we can still educate our children about National festivals. Here are few tips:
- Make it as a special day and create the kind of atmosphere at home so that children can get special feel about their country.
- Wake up early and show them television coverage of the day at National Capital.
- Make an effort to take them to any nearby places/Government Schools/apartment premises where flag hoisting is done.
- Encourage them to take part in cultural activities and competitions. It could be in-house or even online activities will serve the purpose.
- Give them opportunity to proudly flaunt tricolor accessories.
- Most importantly, explain why it is celebrated and what is the significance of the day.
Create awareness about Indian history and culture:
Ours is one of the oldest civilizations in the world with rich cultural heritage. It has withstood many attacks but still standing tall! Our children need to know about this. Our youth should understand the evolution of India from being the victim of colonialism to one of the world’s leading economies. We have the responsibility to tell this story to our children.
Kids of this generation are very smart and they have access to all kind of information with the rampant growth of mobile and internet technology in the last few years. We need to make sure that they get exposure to right kind of information with the facts.
- Buy them right books (with the facts) related to Indian history and culture. Tell them stories of our freedom struggle, our leaders and India’s contribution to the world in various fields.
Related read – Why should we introduce our kids to Amara Chitra Katha stories.
- Take them to places of cultural and historical importance. Encourage children to take part in activities which help them to gain knowledge about India. For ex: CBSE conducts heritage quiz every year for students of different age group, motivate kids to take part in such activities.
- Show them age appropriate movies which invoke pride feeling about the country.
- Check out this wonderful website My India My Pride to tell great stories about India to your children.
International Sports Events:
Sports have the capacity to invoke patriotism, it is the thread which binds people of different cast, religion and region together as one Nation. Entire country unites and celebrates when tricolor is raised as a mark of victory.
We all know how we cheer for Team India during major sports events, it brings strong feeling of Nationalism. Recent example is Tokyo Olympics 2020, isn’t it? Expose your children to such events, starting from early ages. It develops love and pride for the Nation and inspires them to do something for the country.
Lead by Example:
As the famous saying goes “Children are great imitators. So give them something great to imitate.”, to develop patriotism in your child you need you lead by example.
- Always speak highly of the Nation.
- Be a law abiding citizen and set good example for your children. For Ex: Following traffic rules, paying tax on time, protecting public properties, preserving National resources, etc.
- Create awareness about their duties, rights and responsibilities towards the Nation.
- Abide by the Constitution of India and educate your children about the same.
- Respect National Flag and National Anthem. Teach your children about it’s etiquettes.
- Talk about the bravery and supreme sacrifices of Indian Army in front of the children.
- Watch movies, videos or any other programs which instills patriotic feelings along with your children.
These kind of small efforts by today’s parents will go a long way in building tomorrow’s India. It inspires the thought process, creates more awareness among our next generation, and develops love and respect for the country.
Featured Image Credit – motionstock from Pixabay
