Driving on Empty

My only son and his wife live abroad [Empty Nest, New Start, June]. But we remain connected through regular visits and tools like WhatsApp and Skype. We can be happy only when we convince ourselves that life without our children is precious too, and should be enjoyed. This will also ensure that our children lead guilt-free lives, wherever they are.

Gayathri N. M., Chikmagalur, Karnataka

My wife and I were well prepared to face the empty nest syndrome by keeping ourselves busy in many ways after we retired and our children left. But the real emptiness will be felt when one of us leaves this world. The next big thing is to prepare for that eventuality.

K. V. Dharmarajan, Pune

Isn’t teaching courtesy, or about being responsible towards society, part of parental duties? Critical thinking is largely lacking in adults and so I do not know how we may expect it from children.

Bharathi Ganesh, via e-mail

Mandeep Singh Kulhria, Hissar, Haryana

Nandini Mitra, via e-mail

Dr Shamin P. R., Kozhikode, Kerala

As a schoolteacher for over 28 years, I am aware that school syllabi are not set by schools, but by government agencies, where the people are usually not authorities on school education. Normally they come from the higher education fields— universities—and are ignorant of realities. Teachers should not teach just for high scores in exams, but to assist in building confident young adults. In addition to the fine points made in the article, schools should teach traffic rules and road etiquette, and about waste management, as nature should be safe in the hands of future generations. Above all, respect and compassion for others are the most basic of lessons our children should learn.