Lest I gave the impression that I am an ogre and a violent mum, I can safely say that my children have never cried or screamed in fear when punished. At most, there will be just a few tears and a downcast face. They may not be the most well-behaved children but I work hard to ensure that they are a happy lot.

I am reminded of a pair of siblings, a six-year-old boy and his four-year-old sister, who appeared so angelic and respectful of adults that I was really impressed with their behaviour. One day, they even gave me a little lecture that “it is not good for children to watch TV; children must study hard”.

When I shifted to an apartment that was within earshot of the happenings in their family, I realised this was not the way I would like to bring up my children.

Though children need to be disciplined, they need to indulge in their childhood whims and parents ought to let them grow the way they should and not the way we fancy.

As long as my children are respectful of their elders, compassionate towards others, responsible and accountable for their own actions, I am a happy mother.

It is not easy to be a parent to so many boys but I believe that if children are brought up with some religious foundation, we can safely step back and watch them grow to be wise and responsible adults. I strongly believe that the most important years are the childhood years where a child’s character traits, opinions, and habits are being formed.

My teenage son who used to clown around with grandma has learnt some important lessons from the au naturel rotan. And I believe he will not screw up his adult life with some irresponsible acts and blame grandma for the childhood abuse - something we often read about in the biography of celebrities.

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