Child behaviour on Stealing

Prompt: The Daily Topic: "Why do kids do that? Write a poem or story (truth or fiction) about a child stealing something."


Jane was spending the day with her friend, Anna. Both had three year old daughters’ who got along very well.

Anna’s daughter Lara, took her friend Mary (Jane’s daughter), inside her room to play with toys. She showed her a toy cat which stood on a clock. A small toy though, Mary seemed to be very fascinated with it. She took the toy to play with. Finally, after a day well spent, it was time for Jane to get back home.

After a few days, Anna while dusting the house, realized that the toy cat was missing from its place. Anna searched the house high and low, but was unable to find it. She pounded over the last few days’ activities to figure out the place where she could have kept it. Then with a flash she remembered her friends’ daughter Mary playing with it. She was sure Mary had taken it with her.

Jane had told Anna about another incident of Mary stealing a pencil from a friend’s pencil box. When questioned about it, Mary had said that her friend had given it to her. When Jane had asked Mary’s friend, she said, ‘Mary has stolen my pencil. I never gave it to her.’ This was startling for Jane to digest. Mary then changed her stance to, ‘I liked it so I took it for a few days.’ Jane made Mary understand that it was wrong to take someone else’s things for even a few days. She had let it go with that without understanding the consequences of this small act.

Although Anna wanted to tell Jane about this theft so that she could make her daughter understand, Anna decided to leave the topic until touched by Jane herself.

With a few more days gone, Jane suddenly gave the toy cat to Anna, simply explaining that she had seen it in Mary’s hands, but had forgotten to tell Anna about it. It was then that Anna made Jane understand about the consequences of Mary stealing something and not being explained about not doing so. Jane understood and thanked Anna for her advice and support.

Often children tend to steal something from a friends’ house without knowing that they are not taking it to play with them, but actually stealing it. This tends to then grow into a habit of picking up anything from anybody’s house. It is a problem which needs to be addressed when a child does so the first time.

Children steal for a myriad of reasons, some of them purely unknown even to them. At the tender age of three and above, stealing takes place to either impress someone else or possess something which they don’t have based purely on impulsiveness. They steal only because they want something very badly which their friend possesses. Stealing is also possible if there is a world of mixed emotions going on in the child’s mind who wants to take control of an object which others have.

If a child is caught stealing, or is found in possession of something which does not belong to him/her, the parents should immediately:
• Show disapproval of the act performed by their child.
• Instead of whacking the child, it is important to make the child understand that it is unacceptable behaviour.
• Moral values and ethics should be explained.
• A basic attitude should be taught which is acceptable in the society; else he/she should be explained that they would be left out from the circle of friends. Kids believe in being accepted in their friends’ circle and show immense pride in the gang they belong to.
• Make the child promise and keep to his/her promise of not stealing; by making the child understand that all his/her action/behaviour are being watched upon.
• It’s important for the parents to understand if it is an ongoing behaviour or just a once/twice activity.

Jane realized her mistake of lettings things go. She was worried. But with Anna’s inputs on stealing, Jane again questioned Mary on taking the toy cat to which Mary responded, ‘I simply took it because I liked it.’ It then was that Jane made Mary understand that this was becoming an unacceptable behaviour and if done once more, Jane would not only stop talking to Mary, she would cut her pocket money as well. But she also made Mary understand that stealing was wrong. She ensured that Mary said sorry to Anna so that she would feel ashamed herself and would never do so again. Jane explained the consequences of stealing to Mary and of her friends leaving her alone. She made Mary promise that she would never do so again and her behaviour was being continuously watched.

Mary was deeply ashamed on her behaviour and since then has not stolen anything.

Questioning Life

Prompt: The Daily Topic: "If life was a multiple choice test, what would be the first five questions on yours? Write the questions and their multiple choice answers."


Everyone has their own share of ups and downs. And it’s the failures from which we learn our lessons. Or rather we should. Else we would keep repeating the same mistake again and again. We ought to take responsibility for our own actions and be accountable for the wrong choices we make/have made, even if what we thought then seemed to be right. Life is an ongoing journey or learning, unlearning and learning again.

If life was a multiple choice test, my first five questions would be:

Am I content with the life I am leading?
Yes
No
Average
Wish more
Am not sure

What is the one thing I would like to change?
Carefree attitude
Stubbornness and anger
Lack of hard work
All of the above

Has the purpose of my life been accomplished?
Yes
No
An ongoing task
Am not sure

Have I achieved the goals in my career?
Yes
No
On the road
An ongoing task
Not interested

Am I responsible towards the people closest to me?
Yes
No
Average
Wish I could do more

There are many more things which a person wishes from life. It’s the ability to work hard which leads the path to success. The desire to excel should show in each path we partake.

Desert

Prompt: The Daily Topic: "Can you write using imagery? Without thinking too much about it, write down either the word 'hot'; or the word 'cold'; Then write down next to it either the word 'wet' or the word 'dry.' Now, write a descriptive piece that attempts to make the reader feel the two words you've written down."

Hot and Dry: Desert

Imagine standing in the midst of a desert, on a hot and dry day, where only sand dunes can be seen for miles, and plants and insects as your companion!

A desert is that stretch of land which receives very little precipitation – less than ten inches per year. One third of the earth’s surface is a desert. Hot deserts have high daytime temperature and low night time temperature. Many deserts are formed by rain shadows where the mountains block the precipitation from reaching the desert.

Deserts can be classified in four major categories:
• Hot and dry
• Semiarid
• Coastal
• Cold

Sahara desert in Northern Africa is the largest hot and dry/non-polar desert in the world covering 9 million square km and 12 countries. The largest polar desert is the Antarctica desert followed by the Arctic desert.

Sand covers about 20 percent of the earth’s desert. The remaining surfaces constitute bedrock outcrops, desert soils, desert lakes and oases. Several types of dunes such as barchan, longitudinal, seif and star dunes exist across the desert.

There are six forms of deserts:
• Mountain and basin deserts
• Hamada deserts consisting of plateau landforms
• Regs, constituting rock pavements
• Formation by sand seas called Ergs
• Intermontane Basins
• Badlands, located at the margins of arid lands comprising clay-rich soil

Soil is usually course-textured, shallow and rocky in deserts. Fauna on the desert includes kangaroo rat, lizards and rabbits, apart from other insects, snakes and birds. In the Sahara region, camels and goats are the most domesticated animals. Flora includes leaves which are replete with water-conserving characteristics. Plants are mainly ground-hugging shrubs and short woody trees which tend to be small and thick. Cactus, turpentine bush, prickly pears, sotol, ephedras are some of the plants which grow in the deserts.

The desert environment is highly unsuitable for humans. However, the most traditional human life is the nomadic tribes such as Bedouin, Tuareg and Pueblo.

Deserts contain a great amount of mineral resources. Though deserts are flat and featureless, they are being seen as sources of solar energy.

Save the World

September 16
International Day of the Preservation of the Ozone Layer

In 1994, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed September 16 as the International Day of the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, commemorating the signing of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that deplete the Ozone Layer.
This day is celebrated throughout the world by individuals, schools and organizations by promoting special programs and activities on saving the earth’s ozone layer and its significance in protecting the environment.

Background: A meeting was held in 1987 by the representatives from 24 countries in Montreal who declared that destruction of the ozone layer had to be stopped in order to protect the earth from environmental hazards; by getting rid of the substances that are a danger to the ozone layer. Hence, in 1994 the UN declared Sep. 16 (the day of the meeting) as the International Day of the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. It was first celebrated in 1995.

A few facts: The earth’s atmosphere is divided into several layers, the lowest being troposphere, and the next stratosphere. The ozone layer is the higher part of the stratosphere which absorbs the ultra violet radiation from the sun hence protecting the life on earth. Apart from natural resources like nitric oxide, hydroxyl, chlorine and bromine which can deplete the ozone layer, due to the increase in large quantities of manmade compounds [chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and bromofluorocarbons] the ozone shield is getting harmed. Continued damage shall augment lesser protection against the sun’s radiation which by reaching the earth’s surface can give rise to skin cancer, crop damage and cataracts. Hence, some countries such as US, Canada and Norway have banned CFCs containing aerosol sprays that are known to damage the ozone layer.

It is time for all countries to get together and ban substances which are a threat to life.

Perseverance

Prompt: The Daily Topic: "Do they really give you ten-thousand words? Look at or think about the pictures on your walls. Write about one you've never written about."

A beautiful sunrise beyond the sea, where the sun’s rays fall on the tides and the sea cliff stands tall. And it says: Perseverance…Never give up, for that is the place and the time that the tide will turn.

This picture has been in my drawing room for the past one year. I walk past it everyday, take a cursory look at it and carry on with my household chores.

But there are times, when I just stand in front of it trying to amass its beauty and let the words sink in. It gives me a feeling of immense satisfaction. I draw inspiration and begin to believe in myself yet again, “Yes, I can write. I can make a career in writing even though I am not gifted with the art. There is no word such as impossible. I only have to strive hard to achieve my goals, maybe just a bit harder than others.”

This 17 word picture says a thousand words. It helps in my trying times. It pushes to strive for the goals and try to attain them it as there will be a day when things will be better; be it in writing or life. In life one has their ups and downs. The road is full of potholes, but the end is beautiful. Maybe it is far off, but success is sure to happen; only if we persevere.

The picture says it all: Take life as a challenge and work hard in all your endeavors. You will succeed.

Domestic Violence against Women

Prompt: The Daily Topic: "If you could dedicate your life to one noble cause, what would it be? Explain your choice."

The Beginning of an End...

I had presumed that domestic violence against women existed in the lower strata of society, or in remote villages where the woman is not aware of her rights. But a call from a friend proved me wrong. I was stunned. Her husband has pushed her and banged her head against the wall. She had retorted but he was too strong for her frail body to stop his deeds. It had carried on for five long years and no one knew about it, until SHE decided it was enough. Counseling from family and friends was of no help and they drifted apart. Like many others, she was a victim of domestic violence.

Statistics of Domestic violence revealed a horrifying reality:
A crime against women is committed every three minutes in India, according to India's National Crime Records Bureau.
One in four women has experienced domestic violence in her life in US, according to the National Institute of Justice, Extent, Nature and Consequences of Intimate Partner Violence.
Domestic Violence is a worldwide phenomenon existing in countries such as Canada, Switzerland, Egypt, Zambia and New Zealand.

Irrespective of caste, economic status, religion or education, a woman is tortured by her husband. Rape, dowry deaths, burns, driven to suicide and wife-beating are some common forms of domestic violence. Some are treated badly only due to the submissive nature of a woman.

I strongly feel that women are to be equally blamed for this mess in society. There is no place for gender discrimination. Women need to understand this. They do not deserve abuse. Women themselves have to put an end to this cruelty. Punishments need to be implemented against those who violate domestic violence laws. But for this too, the woman needs to report this exploitation, rather than being scared and continue getting harassed.

If I could dedicate my life to one noble cause, it would be this – the abolition of domestic violence from all households across the globe. I strongly believe that no woman deserves ill-treatment. Knowledge of rights and domestic violence acts across the world is important for every woman to be able to stand up against all crimes. She is not the weaker section. A woman will continue dealing with troubled relationships and mistreatment if she does not put an end to it. She needn’t be scared of being barred from the society or from having no home for protecting herself against injustice. There are organizations which give shelter to such women. It takes courage to take that one step against violence but it HAS to be taken, else she will never be free from the syndrome of domestic violence.

A woman is her best savior.