How can we help our children to make good choices amidst a degraded culture?

Answer Podcast

Transcript

This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
stop here? So children need to be accepted and sometimes in today’s society they may go on a wrong track.
How can we as parents help them? That’s why the children also need some kind of community. If there are other devotee kids around them, then actually there is some similarity in values. And beyond that, in every society, you see that this, even in childhood also, there is goodness, passion, ignorance.
So even among children, there are some children who are more studious, more inclined towards, actually they are relatively sattvic, others are more inclined towards passionate, some others towards ignorance. So social influences are there on everyone, but the stratification in goodness, passion, ignorance is also there everywhere. So within the social circle that they have, you can encourage them to, as much as possible, connect with those kids who are more and more of goodness.
So there is, basically, one human being can influence another human being, practically in three ways. Now we can provide, we can share knowledge, we can provide facilities and we can set an example. There are only three things you can do while carrying the ignorance.
We provide knowledge, this is right, this is wrong, this will have this consequence, this will have that consequence. We provide that knowledge. Along with that, we provide or create some facilities.
Okay, these are children, you know, okay, you shouldn’t watch this movie or you shouldn’t play this kind of games. But I need to do something, I can’t just be here. What do I do with my time? We will provide them facilities.
So children, they come to a temple, they can’t be expected to attend the same classes with their parents at least. So we have to create facilities and those facilities have to be at a level which they can connect with. Sometimes as devotee parents, we expect our children to be reincarnations of Prahlad Maharaj.
That’s not going to happen. They are going to be children, they will be children. So you have to create the facilities for them to play, to enjoy, to have fun at their level and also to be connected with Krishna at their level.
So create facilities. And that’s why in many places, either we have devotees starting their own schools or the temple community coming forward and starting a school. Many parents do homeschooling.
Or if they have to select which schools the kids go to, then they have to select the school very carefully. So basically, just telling them right or wrong is important. But along with that, providing facilities is also important.
And then after that, we are setting an example. And the children are very sharp, actually. I saw a joke recently.
A pastor was asking a child, he said, why should we be silent in the church? Why should we be silent in a church during a sermon? Because everyone is sleeping. Sleep during sermons. So the children see that, the parents are saying you should go for classes, but in the classes, they themselves are sleeping.
Children can’t stand it. So actually, the parents are in exams. So if we are doing these three things, then we are doing all that is humanly possible.
And then they will, by their own intentions, by their own will, make good choices. And to some extent, in their childhood, we have to make choices for them. We have to tell them, no, please don’t do this.
And as they grow older, they’re going to assert their freedom. And they have to be given that rule. So if we have given them the knowledge, the facilities and the example, then the chances are very high that they will themselves make all the choices.
Sometimes they may go off on the wrong track. But those impressions will be there in their heart. And that will bring them back on the right track sooner or later.
And sooner mostly rather than later. So basically, if we provide them facilities, then usually the children, you know, if they, if something is explained to them properly, and is also made easy for them to do, then it is not so difficult for them. But if something is imposed on them, this is what you have to do, and it is not explained to them in a way that they can understand.
There are certain things, just especially in a young child, do this, don’t do this. That is important. But beyond that, as they grow older, at that time, they may explore a little bit.
And that’s why we can have a good community, a good college, or a good like-minded, like-age, same-age people who are on the right track. That helps a lot. And sometimes I’ve seen here in America that devoted children from various parts of the country, they come, not here, I am entering America, sorry, UK here.
But here we have a vibrant youth group also. So, you know, devotees from various parts of the country, they come together for some youth get-together, and they don’t feel a sense of loneliness. Oh, I am just one or two person doing this.
So many others do it, and they are nice people. So basically, somehow or the other, they have to feel that sense of belonging in the devoted community. And they won’t feel that sense of belonging with elders.
They need to feel that with their own age group. That is the facility we create. Then they will, in due course, immediately sometimes, or sometimes in due course, they make the right choices.