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A typical Indian kid has been told that guests are equivalent to Gods so we have to treat them with the utmost care and respect. Atithi Devo Bhava is a common phrase that every Indian has heard and follows religiously. Not only do we treat them with respect and go out of our way to make them feel at home, but we are so used to having special food that is made or bought just for guests. How many times have we been told by our parents not to eat certain chocolate, snacks, or munchies because they are exclusively kept for guests in case we ever have them?
If you’re an Indian kid from a middle-class family, you can relate to this scenario more than anyone else. You go with your parents to a supermarket and you know what you’re allowed to buy and what’s deemed unnecessarily expensive. Anything that comes with a “free” item is allowed and anything new requires your parents’ permission. If they are in a bad mood, the best thing to do is to choose the ones you know that you have already bought. Relatable so far?
Next, you see your parents pick up some of the “out the ordinary” snacks, chocolates, and juices. The first thing you wonder is if it comes with any free stuff. If it doesn’t, you wonder why your parents decided to pamper you with new things. “Maybe they are in a good mood today”, you think to yourself. You get into the car and return home only to find out that those new things are not for you but for the potential guests that may visit your house in the future. As much as you’re disappointed, you are not surprised by this. Because this is the journey of every middle-class family in a supermarket.
Forbidden Fruit
Just like you find sewing items in an imported cookie jar, a scenario like this is just too common in an Indian household. Our parents insist on stocking up on fancy food, snacks, juices, and chocolates just to serve our probable guests but the kids in the house have to eat regular food. Anything out of the ordinary is forbidden fruit and kids in Indian households are aware of this fact right from their childhood. But why is this the case? Why do parents restrict their children from yummy knick-knacks but save them for guests? Beats us.
Another thing common to Indian households is attributing fast food to unhealthy luxury food but serving them for the guests who visit. While health-wise, this is a good decision, it makes kids crave unhealthy food and junk food more than what’s healthy or necessary. The only way you can get such food is if you visit another house as a guest. You would probably be lying if you say that you did not wish to attend birthday parties just to eat the yummy junk food you are served.
Special Days, Special Food
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It might sound kanjoos to deprive your kids of guest worthy food, and maybe it is. But the logic behind it probably makes sense. You buy unhealthy food that’s tasty for your guests because they visit you once in a while and a little bit of junk is alright. But if you were allowed the same food, you would eat it every day and probably even binge eat them. While this is unhealthy, it also develops a bad habit and liking for junk food.
But entirely restricting kids is not a good idea either. What parents can probably do is allow the kids to indulge in these “special foods” on occasions like birthdays, festivals, celebrations, etc. This way you’re not just satisfying those junk food cravings but not exceeding moderate quantities. Besides, your kids will stop being so curious about why the guests receive fancy food and why they don’t deserve them. Forbidden fruit is tempting because it is forbidden. When it’s freely given, it might just be a fruit!
