बच्चों का विकास घर ओर बाहर दोनों वातावरण से प्रभावित होता है।घर का वातावरण उन्हें सुरक्षा, प्यार संस्कार और आत्मविश्वास देता है,वही बाहर का वातावरण उन्हें नई बातें सीखने, मित्र बनाने और समाज को समझने का अवसर देता है। यदि घर का माहौल सकारात्मक होगा तो बच्चा बाहर के चुनौतियों का भी साहस और समझदारी से सामना करेगा। दोनों वातावरण का संपूर्ण बच्चों के संपूर्ण व्यक्तित्व निर्माण के लिए आवश्यक। - रीना देवी, Principal, AFA
हम जो भी बनते हैं, वह सिर्फ हमारे जन्म से मिले गुणों (Nature) पर ही निर्भर करता है, बल्कि वह हमारे पालन- पोषण और हमारे आसपास के माहौल (Nurture) पर भी निर्भर करता है l प्रकृति हमें गुण देती हैं l परंतु पालन पोषण हमें सही दिशा दिखाता है l अगर हमें अच्छे संस्कार और माहौल मिले तो हर व्यक्ति अपनी प्रतिभा को और भी बेहतर बना सकता है l इसलिए हर व्यक्ति की पहचान उसके जन्म से मिले गुणों ओर माहौल से मिले गुणों दोनों से होतीं है- Swati, teacher, AFA
Personality is like a recipe. Nature gives you the raw ingredients — maybe you're born with extra sugar (kindness) or a bit too much spice (temper). But nurture is the chef, deciding whether you end up as a sweet cupcake, a spicy curry, or a burnt toast. And honestly, our personalities keep changing, because life keeps throwing in random ingredients we never asked for — like stress, heartbreak, or that one embarrassing childhood memory that pops up at 3 a.m. In the end, we're all just weirdly flavoured dishes, thanks to the mix of nature and nurture!- Manisha Khanna
Both nature and nurture play vital roles in our development. The divide between the two is hardly visible. And then the environment adds to these to shape our personality. Today, I am a very different person from what I was twenty years ago.- Minakshi Prasad, Director, AFA
The perspective that the book offers on calling the growing period 'sensitive' instead of 'critical' can shift the weight we place on time, and instead of a more conscious effort that can be applied to every phase/period. Kamala Mukunda was inviting us teachers/parents/educators to be mindful of our actions, rather than giving ourselves clean chits, claiming we had no role to play in a child's life because the 'critical' period was not within our control. Her examples draw us right into the discussion, creating space for reflection. When I ask myself this question as a teacher, it looks very similar to what I would have asked of myself: am I a person made of many atoms of past, present and future that includes my parents and all the other people I have met, things I have read, imagined, watched, etc.? If I extend the same empathy to the child in front of me, that they are a culmination of so much, I can make sense in my moments of difficulty. This might help extend my understanding instead of falling back on a concrete consequences approach.
Like always, the book is a constant source of learning and reflection. Our group makes it even more helpful since all of us are teaching and engaging in real time.
Neelashi Mangal
Training and Development Lead
Learning Forward India Foundation
