The need for bonding:without it what's the point of ....?

Humans need food for energy and development of the body, exercise to strengthen it and rest for growth, regeneration and recuperation. In an earlier posting we have seen how the lost of parents leads to brain disturbances. Let us examine our physical needs too and how it can also lead to emotional imbalance.

There are parents, in pursuit of money, forget that children not only need food, exercise and rest. Children as well as adults need bonding. They need to be close with their parents and friends. Such closeness can be established through being with them, communicating with each other and expression of love through touch and hugs.

There was a reckless child I knew, who could not care less what happened to him. He would run all over, mixing with whoever is willing to allow him to join in and engaging in harmful activities. As his teacher, I advised him to care for himself more, but his reply was: ‘Who cares? Even my parents do not bother.’ His self-esteem was obviously low.

Through investigation as his disciplinarian in his school, I discovered that both parents were busy working. Early in the morning he went to school before his parents were awake. He did not see his parents throughout the day. He hunted for his own food with money supplied by them. By the time they returned home, he was usually already in bed. When I managed to see one of the parents in her working place and told her about his involvement in certain undesirable activities, she claimed he never went out for such things. According to her, despite her absence in her own house for most of the day, she insisted her son stayed at home throughout the day. She refused to face the truth!

Of course, when one courts trouble, trouble is bound to follow. The parents, one day, found policemen at their doorstep with the sad news. Gone, for the child, were some of the opportunities which could have been his.

This one weakness caused the child so much loss. It also got the family to feel guilty, to blame each other and brought disharmony into the family.

This is a problem we can prevent. In fact, we must prevent this from happening!