This Navratri and Durga Puja, let your child learn the importance of cultural values

With Navratri and Durga Puja just around the corner, it’s only timely that children are acquainted with traditions that shape our heritage and cultural values. It’s our responsibility as parents to ensure a congenial learning environment for the little ones at home as well as pique their interest in activities such as storytelling, helping in the kitchen to prepare traditional dishes as well as getting their hands dirty in making rangoli, lighting diyas and decorating the house. This will not only foster compassion, teamwork and inclusivity, but also encourage kids to appreciate rituals and practices while maintaining an open-minded approach toward life. 

Cultural values - a legacy passed down through generations

While achieving academic success is crucial, when it comes to a child’s holistic development, there are several other components that come into play. Early exposure to one’s cultural values means a better understanding of one’s traditions and heritage. This, in turn, will ensure that children also respect diversity and inclusion. These values are often learnt at home, mostly passed down through generations. So much so that they become a legacy we all take pride in. Most urban families are nuclear. Staying away from your roots may limit the scope for children to discover and absorb our ethos and collective beliefs. Thus, festivals - such as Navratri and Durga Puja - may serve as an opportune time for parents to help young minds reconnect with those cultural values.  

Also read: Techie-turned-teacher Sumalatha G’s coding mantra helps kids boost their problem-solving skills

Toward creating a better society 

India is a diverse nation. Here, people from different cultures and social backgrounds live together and celebrate various festivals all year long. We should encourage our children to take part in these festivities. Simply by seeing and being around neighbours and friends, our kids can learn about different types of rituals and their curious backstories. This is more than a social gathering. Such activities can help them learn while they engage with their peers. Additionally, it will shape their thought process, help them acknowledge and appreciate other traditions as well as pave the way for them to retrace our origins. While wearing new clothes and gorging on different dishes can be exciting, let’s also engage our children in putting together what it takes to celebrate a festival in a traditional style. Embracing every detail holds the key. Festivals not only unite us, but also help spread positivity and build a harmonious environment at home. Cultural values shape our character and inform our behaviour toward the young and old. But above all, they motivate us to be kind, tolerant and respectful - all of which is pivotal to becoming better human beings.   

By Roopali Goel, mother of Anav Goel - Grade 5A, Thoriapakkam branch, Chennai

(Disclaimer: The views, opinions and suggestions expressed by the author in this article are their own and do not reflect that of the Orchids Editorial Team)