You've got to be kidding!

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">In the age of consumerism, Mumbai''s parents are increasingly judging their children in terms of marketability. So what''s your child''s USP?</span><br /><br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">Bhala uski beti meri beti se smart kaise? </span><br /><br />Introducing the new, advanced, superchild formula which can make a child fly from coaching class to drama workshop, sing and dance to the latest tunes, eat pasta without spilling any on his/her branded shirt, always look beautiful and importantly, lift kgs of school baggage and combat parental pressure with ease.<br /><br />Watch out, Mumbai''s parents are in search of the perfect child. If their child isn''t perfect, they''ll just try to package him/her into one. That''s why it''s so important to gain admission to the right school with the right peers, enter the right class to learn newer skills and etiquette, visit the right parlour to get the right makeover.<br /><br />Welcome to the age of the ''superchild'' syndrome, as is termed by psychologists. What''s your child''s unique selling point (USP)? Psychologists and counsellors claim at least six out of ten parents in the city judge their offspring in terms of marketability -- in schools, peer groups and society. Counselling psychologist Varkha Chulani confirms, "One comes across such parents all the time. It''s all about self-pride. Their status gets elevated if their child is a topper or a gold medalist. A child becomes a medium through which most parents convey their own ambitions."<br /><br />Swati Salunkhe, who runs a leading counseling centre, adds, "It''s not just admission to an elite school -- parents push their children to all kinds of classes. In vacations, kids are sent to hobby or etiquette classes in order to use holidays more fruitfully. An ordinary child is not good enough." <br /><br />Another common parental phenomenon is the desire to fulfill unaccomplished ambitions through their children. Says chartered accountant Sunil Gangwal, father of a three-year-old, "This is probably more evident in middle-class homes where parents try to use their kids as a vehicle to fulfill their own unmet ambitions." <br /><br />However, packaging can stifle a child. Explains Salunkhe, "Increasingly, children are living according to class time-tables. A stressed child is more prone to suicidal feelings, depression and dysfunctional behaviour."<br /><br />More importantly, Chulani suggests, competitiveness can increase hostility in children. She says, "Parents need a perspective on why they want children -- for ambition or love. While setting goals is important for growth, one-upmanship is not."<br /><br />As Rajashri Rege, mother of a six-year-old, concludes, "One should try and get whatever best possible from one''s child. But most importantly, one should accept his/her limitations in a healthy manner."<br /><span style="" font-style:="" italic="">janhavi.samant@timesgroup.com</span></div> </div>