As the debate on same sex marriages rages in the Indian courts, it’s not just the nation but the world that watches with baited breath, on what the outcome and the aftereffects are going to be. But more than this, what is really evident is that the world is a truly diverse place, and every individual has a right to live a life of dignity and safety, experience love, and joy. What role then can we as parents play in ensuring that our children who will come in to this world a decade or two down the line, don’t have to fight for basic rights but will thrive where there is mutual respect and love?! This thought plays in my mind every time I watch or read the news these days. Moving into a role at work that focuses on diversity, equity, and inclusion has only made this a more pressing need for our family – how can we raise our child to be more inclusive?
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One of the many parenting principles in our home that shocks friends and family is our son doing chores. He’s been at it since he was just over a year old. Some people expressed amusement, some shock and some others judged us as mean parents. But we still did chores around here.
The first few chores that we began with our son was wiping up spills, pulling dried clothes off the laundry line and putting away used plates & cups for a wash in the sink. He began with these around the time he was 1.5 years when he was walking fairly confidently. No, wait, he was pulling off dried clothes from the drying stand right from the time he was crawling.?
He felt immensely proud and useful to be doing these chores and today its second nature for him to ask for a cloth to wipe any spills or put away his plate after snack time.