I was invited by IOC’s Paradip Refinery to conduct a story telling session for the students of Delhi Public School, Paradip and a Workshop on Effective Parenting.
I began by explaining to the children the various elements of a story including characters, plot, language, dialogues, view point, setting et al. My talk was laced with examples from literature as well as real life. I followed this up with a story called “By a Whisker” which is a humorous tale about a tiger who falls in love with a donkey. The children responded to my creative shenanigans with irrepressible energy and infectious effervescence.
I then left the floor open for a question and answer session. This turned out to be a rollicking and rocking affair. “What was the most memorable moment of your life? Which is your favourite book? How do you get ideas for writing? Name your favourite character?” The questions came thick and fast. I was amazed at the intelligence of the young and ignited minds! The kids turned out to be smart and savvy with loads of chutzpah! The Story Telling session was followed by a Workshop on Effective Parenting for the parents. More than 200 parents attended the session which was based on my book Effective Parenting: A New Paradigm.
I shared with the audience a Paradigm comprising Five Pillars of Sharing, Caring, Fun and Joy, Healthy Living and Invaluable Values. The concept is based on ideas culled from my own experiences as a child from a broken home, my observations as a writer for children and my own struggles as a parent.
The paradigm is by no means a profound model on the art and science of successful parenting, nor a quick fix offering an immediate and lasting solution. It is a framework offering only gentle suggestions, hints and thoughts which would hopefully serve as unobtrusive guides as the parent journeys across the tough terrain of parenting.
I touched upon several issues which affect new age parents. These included the new ATM or Anytime Memory Card, the concept of Passion Quotient, psyche of ambitious parents, menace of the Idiot Box, search for new icons, respect for women, reaching out to the elderly, challenges facing nuclear families, et al. My straight from the heart, hands-on approach to parenting received an excellent response from the gathering who besieged me for autographs, photographs and advise on different aspects of parenting.
Read a bunch of interesting articles on Effective Parenting: A New Paradigm
