My 5 gifts for my kids

When the time comes, what are the 5 gifts I would want to bestow upon my children for their future? 

This was a surprisingly challenging question to answer; the more I thought about it, the more answers popped up in my head. After going through a whole alphabetical list and crossing off the zebras and zoozoo dolls in the final 'Z' page, this is my choices on what I would want my kids to have.

1. Education and aptitude.

Scary as it is to admit, we live in a land where the less you study, the more you tend to earn because of unsavory means ( cough cough ministers cough cough ). But that is beyond my control. I would want my children to grow up educated and capable of innovative thinking. I would not enforce a profession upon them - their aptitudes and talents as they grow up will determine the direction of their destiny. Whether they choose to be doctors or ninjas, my role is to provide for them and make sure they have an opportunity to reach for the stars, should they choose.

2. Freedom and responsibility.

I'm tired of unwanted, invisible barriers still being an issue in India after all these years. I would want my children to grow up knowing that they have every opportunity to choose for themselves as long as they do no harm to others. They can choose their hobbies, their friends, those they want to keep in their lives and those they feel safer without, their beloved. Of course, the responsibility of their choices and decisions will need to be instilled upon them as well. I think that will be the key between raising a thoughtful child or ending up with a spoiled brat.

3. A happy family life worth emulating.

The formative years of a child remain within the house. They will learn to hate, love, care or cheat based on what they see there. That is why the best gift I could give my children would be a house filled with love and laughter, healthy discussions and serenity. 
Oh, and definitely a dog to complete that household!! What better way to combine the gift of selfless love and a sense of responsibility than by a pet dog who will always be there for them and probably teach them more life-lessons than I will!

4. Security  

Being a middle class family, we do go from pay-cheque to pay-cheque, saving a few frugal Gandhi notes every month as we continue to dream bigger dreams. In recent years though, I've really begun to understand the value of long term investment schemes and how they can help us build our castles over time. Providing an ideal balance between security, insurance and long term benefits, they are almost a necessity now for those of us looking to stay ahead of the burgeoning inflation rates and still provide for our children's future.

5. My time

As a doctor, the true curse is always the loss of quality time with my family. It's a compromise I can afford to make for now. But when the time comes, I know I would anyday take a pay cut and spend lesser hours at work rather than miss out on the love and affection that my children and I would get to have. In the end, your children need your presence beside them more than tons of money and an empty seat at the dinner table.

        

This post is a part of the 1001 Gifts Activity by HDFC Life in association with BlogAdda.