In the twentieth century, the nineteenth-century idea of the child-centered family was in full bloom. Most parents valued children highly and placed their hopes for the future in them. Children benefited from living in more prosperous times and in more comfortable homes and from advances in health care and sanitation, and the eradication of such childhood diseases as polio, meningitis, and smallpox. Meeting the needs of children, even inventing new ones, became an important element of the consumer economy. Many children had their own rooms, took music or tennis lessons, and were often indulged.
Despite children of today’s era generally not having to worry about being sold off as slaves or being married off at such young ages, the children of our decade have their own set of burdens and hustles to worry about. Usually, when we think of childhood, we often think of ignorance, naiveté, care-freeness, joy, innocence and peace and laughter. As young adults, we often reminisce about our childhood because it was a period of time when we had no worries and we lived day to day as happy individuals without burdens. However, looking at society today in all it’s paper-chase “glory”, when we look at children these days, it seems that we can see their days packed to the fullest with tuition classes for every subject possible, classes in the aesthetics department such as ballet or piano, and a heavy involvement in co-curricular activities such as the “Boys Scout” and “Girls Brigade” or sporting activities such as tennis training or basketball practices. In Singapore, this is evident even in children who have not yet begun their primary school education. Parents who are responsible for signing their children up for these classes then claim that they are doing it for the good of their children, in fear that their children might lose out to others if they do not get an early head start. Thus, how is it possible for children to have a completely carefree childhood?
The pressure on children to be the best at everything they do is becoming increasingly great. Parents put pressure on their children to be the top at everything they do, and often nag their children and push their children beyond the child’s capability rate of learning. This may seem effective at first, but eventually only leads to the child becoming burnt out. Somehow, it seems as though all this hustle to be the elite is unnecessary baggage for a child to carry around, and ultimately has no real desired outcome.
However, taking the parents’ point of view, we can see how children somewhat do still have a childhood, as relative to adults, they have little to worry about and much to be thankful for. Children these days are burden free in a sense that they do not have to worry about the basic essentials in life and survival, and they often take for granted the roof over their head; the food they are fed; the clothes they wear. Not only do they not appreciate the basic necessities provided for them, they often also take for granted the luxuries they are provided with.
Furthermore, I feel that with the awareness that has been raised by the government for a holistic education and the importance of childhood as a foundation of life, parents are now gradually giving their children a great deal more of autonomy, as well as letting them learn at their own pace.
I can thus conclude that there is indeed still such a thing as childhood. Perhaps the definitions of childhood have changed over time, but the basic essence of innocence and care-freeness of a child are still dominant in children today. Thus, despite the growing academic stress, I feel that children today are still generally given a chance to be children, and to take their time growing up.
