Raising Children Who Care: Lessons from the Hills!

When Pain Touches the Beautiful

The recent attack on tourists in Pahalgam broke my heart, not just for the victims, but for the land itself. A land already soaked in pain, where locals and soldiers have long sacrificed their lives. And now, even those who come simply to witness its beauty fall prey to violence.

Whoever it is - local, soldier, or tourist. It’s always heartbreaking. Always a loss of something deeply human.

An article in The Hindu struck a deep chord in me. It suggested that perhaps it’s time we rethink our education system. Maybe we need to shift focus, not just on marks and careers but on emotional regulation, social responsibility, and secularism.

“What if our children learned to manage anger before they learned algebra?”

“What if compassion became as important as competition?”

Rooted in Responsibility

I owe a lot to my upbringing in the hills and to my alma mater, where we were nurtured to be socially responsible individuals.

Community work was part of school life. We cleaned our school campus, nearby tourist spots, and even the local marketplace. That’s why, to this day, I’d much rather have my kids mess up the car than litter the environment.

We planted trees around campus, hiked with the Nature Club, and deepened our connection with the earth. Our school had a tie-up with the World Wildlife Fund, and those experiences taught me to respect nature, protect it, and stand up for it when needed.

We were also taught to care for animals. Encounters with elephants, panthers, and even snakes were not uncommon. And yet, fear wasn’t the lesson.

 We learned to live and let live.

We were taught to respect their presence, give them space, and understand that this earth was as much theirs as it is ours. Coexistence, in its truest sense, wasn’t just a concept - it was a way of life.

More than anything, we learned how to co-exist with people too. I had friends from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and even from the North. Growing up together - sharing meals, stories, and celebrations has helped me develop a deep appreciation for diversity and an openness that I carry with me even today.

Looking back, I realize that the foundation laid during those years has had a lasting impact. These values are the ones I now try to pass on to my children.

Maybe that’s where change begins not in grand reforms, but in the small seeds we plant early on.

The Small Things That Shape Big Values

What are we really doing for our kids these days?

Are we modelling social responsibility? Or are we too busy to notice what values we’re passing on?

Do we throw garbage at every tourist spot we visit or do we show our children that caring for nature means taking small, mindful steps, like disposing of waste the right way?

And when we hear about a terror attack, do we just feel relieved that we’re safe, or do we pause to reflect, to discuss, to pray for peace and the protection of those affected?

It’s easy to say, “What can I do?”

But the truth is: small drops of water make an ocean.

Tiny seeds grow into vast forests.

Change doesn’t start big. It starts with us.

In our homes.

In how we speak.

In what we value.

And most of all, in what we model for the next generation.

Let's keep showing up for each other, and for the world!

Nancy kavin