It Happens Only at Balranjan!

Madhuri Sahsrabudhe

 

We, at Balranjan are a big family. Tais, teachers and parents together think and work for OUR CHILDREN. Everyone is interested in the development of their own child as well as other children too. We want to take every child a step ahead from where he is at present in all respects.

In November 2014, we had organized a workshop for the age group of 3 to 6 years. The theme of the workshop was “Vegetables”. It contained games and stories related to veggies. A trip was organized to see a vegetable garden where children could see many of them on the plants. Chilies, brinjals, cucumbers, jade, sweet potatoes, etc. On the last day of the workshop, fancy dress competition was organized. No ready-made dresses or stuff was allowed. It gave scope to the creativity of the parents too.

The day arrived. The children came in the hall with a gate-up of vegetables. The judge arrived and the competition started. The children started coming on the stage and saying the lines they had decided. One child named Ojas was not able to say his sentences. His mother had prepared a head gear and a garland of vegetables. She had brought a big leaf of “alu”. The character was “Mixed Vegetables”.  Ojas started crying. I pacified him and allowed him not to participate as he was not in mood to participate. We do not compel the children as the activity is for the happiness of the children. He went back and sat on the chair. I told him if he wants to perform at the end, he can. But he resisted.

Surprisingly, his mother was calm. Every parent wants his/her child to bag the prize which is in fact a feather in the parents’ cap. His mother Sujata waited a while and observed him. In the meanwhile, a girl came on the stage with a casual dress, saying her mother was in a hurry to go to work and hence, could not manage anything for her daughter. She then came down from the stage.

Immediately, this lady, Sujata called the girl ‘Chitra’, took her out of the hall and asked her whether she would like to participate. As the girl agreed, she prepared the girl for the fancy dress, made her recite the lines which were decided for her child.

At the end, Chitra participated in the competition and bagged the consolation prize. The mother Sujata was very happy for the girl and not unhappy or disappointed with her son. This happens only at Balranjan!

This is the healthy spirit in the organization. We think not only for our own children but for all the children from our center. This was a healthy competition won by cooperation.

Sujata was the real winner of the day!

तिने चित्राला सहभागी व्हायला प्रोत्साहित केले. आपण केलेल्या तयारीचे चीज झाले असे तिला वाटले. If not her own child, the other child was benefited by her act. There was a smile on Chitra’s face while accepting the prize. तिच्या smile मध्ये तिच्या मुलाच्या मुडीपणामुळे आलेली उदासी किंवा खिन्नता पार विरघळून गेली. जय हो! आपल्या स्वतःच्या नाही तर तिने दुसऱ्याच्या मुलाला तो आनंद देऊ केला. ती ते सामान घेऊन खिन्न मनाने परत घरी जाऊ शकली असती. मुलाला दूषणे देत. पण तिने हा दुसरा मार्ग धरला. अशा पालकांना माझा सलाम!

३ ते ५ वर्षांच्या मुलांचे पालक अजून पालक म्हणून मुरलेले नसतात. मी, माझे मूल असा त्यांचा समीकरण घट्ट असतं. मुलाचं यश ते माझं यश. त्याने माझ्या मुकुटात मोराचं पीस. आणि मुलाचं अपयश म्हणजे माझं अपयश. त्याने येणारी प्रचंड खिन्नता. उदासी. अस्वस्थता. पण या साऱ्यावर सुजाताने मात केली. म्हणूनच मी तिला एक स्वतंत्र बक्षीस जाहीर करून दिलेही.

We run a group called Sujaan Palak Mandal – Aware Parents Group. The activities of the group make parenting easier. Parenting मधले खाचखळगे दाखवून मार्गदर्शन करतो. त्याचा परिणाम म्हणून आपल्या मुलांबरोबरच इतर मुलांवर प्रेम करणं जमू लागतं.

माधुरी सहस्रबुद्धे