EXHIBITION ON TERRACE TOP

EXHIBITION ON TERRACE TOP 

MY REAL LIFE INCIDENT ON CHILD REARING

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Tamil TRANSLATION /தமிழ் மொழிபெயர்ப்பு

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Even when my daughters were very young, I had encouraged them to engage themselves in many arts like drawing, painting and making toys from things available at home. Hence, right from LKG itself my daughters were famous among their classmates in their school. They used to draw very well and so all the kids used to crowd in front of my daughters and insist them to draw a drawing in their notebooks.

At home, using thermocol and clay I will teach them to do something interesting. Using ice cream cups and string,  I will make a telephone. Then using thermocol and a blaze, I will demonstration to make table, chairs and other furniture toy.

When my kids were very young, they used to draw something in a piece of paper and show that to me. If it was really good, I would say with a bright smile something like, “Good, great, excellent …” etc. Then I will say , “See my child, when this paper was blank, its value was just Rs.0.05 paise. But once you drew a “good drawing” on it, its worth has become Rs.5. ie its value had increased 100 times. And almost every 10 drawings they drew, I would say, “very good” for at least one. I would also explain that the world famous paintings like the portrait of “Monalisa” by Lenardo Da Vinci etc were worth crores and crores of rupees.

One Saturday night, my two daughters said that they have arranged for an “EXHIBITION” on the terrace of my house the next day. And they invited both me and my wife to attend it. When I enquired about it, they said that they are going to “display” all their “art pieces” they have created using chocolate paper, thermocol, ice-cream sticks etc. The next point they said stunned me. Yes, they said there is an “Entrance Ticket” of Rs.0.25 paise for their exhibition. It seems they had already invited the kids in the neighbourhood.

With an idea to prevent such things in future, my wife started to explain that they should not do such things. But before she could complete the opening sentence, sensing what she is going to say, my younger daughter, Vanmathi came near my wife and said in a low voice, “Mommy, please don’t prevent us, if you want we will give you a ‘share’ of our collection.” I and my wife had a good laugh. However, I was stunned by the presence of mind of my daughter Vanmathi. Like the wise Tenali Rama, my Vanmathi was really smart I thought. Even today her innocent cajoling smile and her offer to ‘bribe’ my wife is still green in my memories.”

Then I reflected about this incident. I wanted to know what really made my daughter do this. And whether anything was wrong in my brought up. Then only it struck me that my actions only had contributed for it. Yes, I had made it crystal clear to my daughters that any art form can fetch them hundred or even thousand times the cost spent – if is really good. This knowledge gave them the guts to charge a little and levy an entrance ticket for their exhibition. Since, I did not consider it a grave mistake, I took it as one of the childish pranks.

But immediately I took efforts to prevent them from feeling superior to others and not develop any egoistic tendencies. I discussed and made them think and consider doing other good things from such money. i.e. I told that if they happen to earn Rs.100 by selling their artistic works, they should utilize only Rs.25. The rest of the money, they should give it to other poor people as charity. And they should also give a part to their parents.

With great effort, I had installed such good thinking in my daughters, even at a very young age. Hence, I hope that even if they become exceptionally gifted artists in their life and make good wealth, they would have a good heart to do lot of charity.

ezhilarasan Venkatachalam

P.S 1 :When I met with an accident in 2007, I was bed-ridden for 8 months. At that time, I started writing in Tamil my childcare book no.2. This is my own translation to English from my Tamil version. I want to give it to my daughters to BETTER THEIR ENGLISH.