There are certain things you should not say to children, says actor Indrajith Sukumaran sitting on a couch. Poornima, fashion designer and actor and Indrajith's wife, completes the thought: "You are dark, you are fat, you are slim, you are not tall. We should not even say these as a joke to children. It will create inferiority complex and confidence issues."
The two continue speaking against the stereotyping of boys and girls, unequal treatment, body shaming and other 'vendatheenangal' (what should not be said or done). The two-minute video, accompanied by mellow music, is part of a positive parenting campaign initiated by the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD) of Kerala in association with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).
"We had done a survey on children's issues during the COVID-19 lockdown, as well as a study on children's suicide. What we understood from these is that there is a gap in communication between parents and children. Especially during the lockdown, children would need more attention from the parents since they are not going to school and depend entirely on the parents for everything," says Anupama, director, WCD.
The campaign was launched in October and a webinar series is being held once in two weeks, on Saturdays, for parents to attend. It is available on the WCD's YouTube page as well their Facebook page. In an attempt to reach out to more parents and make it more interactive, celebrity videos are also being released in support of the campaign.
The video titled ‘Vendatto’ (Don't do this) has Poornima and Indrajith saying, "Parents should become role models, treat boys and girls equally and divide responsibilities among them. Mutual respect should begin at home. Spend more time with children, stand with them on every step they take. Be their model. We can grow as parents and raise them well."
Read: More girls die by suicide says study on child suicides in Kerala
Watch Poornima and Indrajith’s video on parenting.