The Mother-Child Connect
The most prominent woman in a child’s life is its mother. As the child grows up, the mother plays a vital role in developing the child’s character, knowledge, behaviour and attitude towards life and people. Chuck Smith, a child development expert, says, “It’s little wonder that a child gravitates towards the mother….After all, mothers represent a child’s bond to the world and the understanding of it”. He adds, “A mother has a different relationship with her kids than a father, and I think a lot of that is based on biological connection….We don’t fully understand the power of that connection”.
A mother gives birth to a child; rears it up with full care and unconditional love; learns from her childhood experiences and applies them to her child for betterment; takes care of her child’s education, health, environment, acquaintances, needs and everything. She showers her unconditional love and lights her home with liveliness.
She can be referred to as the “Santa Claus” of the family. A child shares an incomprehensible bonding with its mother. A child can confide its fears and problems only to its mother. “She teaches her son how to be good to a woman by way of her relationship with the father. She’s very important in teaching her son respect and about the importance of love and affection….For young girls, she’s very important in serving as a model” says Smith. In today’s society, there are single mothers too. A single mother’s role in her child’s life becomes a way too difficult, as she has to play the role of a father as well. But still single mothers never run away from efficiently playing their twin roles.
Smith observes, “We have phrases like Mother Earth and Father Sky, and there’s a reason for them to be a part of mythology….The Earth is bountiful and provides for us. All of those wonderful thoughts about motherhood are associated with the Earth. That bond, that connection that children have with their mothers is something I don’t think they ever lose”. I have seen thousands of children showing disrespect towards their mothers. But children, irrespective of their ages, should never disregard their mothers. She was there, to motivate, when the child failed in exams; she was there, to rectify, when the child did something wrong; she was there, to redress, when the child was drawn towards wrong ways, and she stayed awake the whole night when the child fell sick—she gave the child her soul. She teaches you the worth of life. She is responsible for the person you have become or ought to become someday. You owe her your life.
———– About the Author: The article has been contributed by our intern, Amrita Dasgupta.
