Grown-ups obsess over their personal space and they value their ‘me time’ tremendously. To them, ‘me time’ allows them the freedom to pursue their interests and hobbies. For grown-ups it represents freewill offering them the independence to explore a variety of choices, paths and opportunities. It symbolizes pure freedom to be themselves as they choose, reject, experiment, learn, change, grow and evolve. ‘Me Time’ provides them the room to connect with their deeper selves for forging and establishing a relationship with themselves. ‘Me Time’ deprivation and denial has disastrous consequences on adults as they find themselves reeling under the stressful effects of it! Not taking out some time for themselves to reflect deeply to understand their needs and dwell on their goals or aspirations and inability to pursue their interests or hobbies cause frustration and resentment in them.

Anyone or anything interfering with their ‘me time’ is perceived as inimical to their interests, goals and as something directly and rudely infringing upon their individual rights, personal freedom and privacy. It is a brazen attack on their personal liberties and a serious encroachment into their personal space and private lives.

According to adults, the ‘me time’ however is not applicable to their children. The ‘me time’ is an entitlement reserved only for grown-ups and it is an adults’ only prerogative. We immediately adopt double standards when children want to have their ‘me time’, some time alone for themselves – whether it is reflecting and spending time by themselves and enjoying their favorite TV programs or by just cherishing the time doing the activities on their own. As adults we don’t mind or hesitate to constantly micromanage and intervene often by pitching in with our indiscriminate observations. While positive feedback and actions should definitely be followed through, carried out and enforced we should refrain ourselves from encroaching into their private territory and violating their personal space and boundaries.

As I watched my daughter engrossed in a riveting TV program which was tailor-made exclusively for children I realized she didn’t appreciate my uncalled interference by needlessly meddling and chipping in with my personal comments and observations about the TV program. Sure, we had enough time to discuss those points later but not in the middle of an exciting and intriguing TV show! She made it obvious that she wanted some ‘me time’ to enjoy her TV time alone without any grown-ups’ interference. All though our inputs may be well-intended and in the larger interests of our children depriving and denying their ‘me time’ can have adverse effects on them.

Restricting and denying children from having a say over their personal rights, decisions and choices clearly constitute a transgression of their individual freedom and free expression. It reveals the dictatorial as well as the arbitrary nature associated with grown-ups and adults.