NIGHTCLUBS FOR CHILDREN IN MUMBAI?
Recently when top nightclubs
in New York opened their doors to children in the age group of six to
12 years, BT decided to probe whether this concept has relevance to our
city
Nightclubs which have opened
up in the US aim to give kids the feeling of living like grown-ups. It
allows them to DJ at the venue as well. Though the trend has
received positive reviews from parents in the US, India's still taking
its time to warm up to the idea.
HOW OPEN IS THE CITY TO INTRODUCING NIGHTCLUBS FOR KIDS?
Gautam Deshpande, PR manager for a popular nightclub in South Mumbai believes that children between the age group of six and 12 are quite vulnerable and hence exposing them to this concept is not a good idea.He says, “Maybe what we can look at is creating a nightclub kind of environment for kids wherein parents book the club in advance for a birthday party etc, and where we can serve mocktails and non-alcoholic drinks to the kids with a DJ playing in the background. Having a club exclusive to them is not a great idea at all. This will make them behave like adults and may mature them before the right time.“
Educationist Anita Kurup says, “In our country , children transition to adulthood through formalised institutions such as school and family . So encouraging kids' nightclubs to give them the feel of adulthood is not something I would support because it gives them a wrong message about what constitutes an adult lifestyle.“ However, she adds, “If kids are curious to know about nightclubs, there's no harm in introducing them to it in a controlled environment. It's better for them to be introduced to the idea by trusted adults rather than letting them break away and find out things for themselves on the sly .“
AGE-APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES IS A PRIORITY FOR CHILDREN
On the other hand, actress and TV anchor Tara Sharma believes there's no harm in encouraging kids who love to dance, by taking them to clubs which allow them to dance and have fun. But she believes that children must indulge in activities that suit their age. She says, “Kids absorb everything we offer, happily . It's important to let children be children. We should let them indulge in activities that come naturally to them. I don't think the environment of a nightclub is really necessary at such a young age, especially with the dim lights and loud music.There's a right time and right place for everything and they will be exposed to it later in their life.“
CHANGING THE ENVIRONMENT AND TIME FRAME FOR KIDS
Manu Chandra, co-owner of a gastropub chain says, “The environment of normal nightclubs is usually that of loud thumping music and dim lights, which is not something that is not apt for children and it is better that we keep them away from it. If pubs do wish to cater to kids, they should keep the lighting ample, play soft music or dance numbers that kids can dance on.The focus should be on food and the ambience should be kid-friendly .“
Dr Pavan Sonar, a city-based psychiatrist believes ensuring a time frame for the kids in these nightclubs would be beneficial. He says, “In the age group that these kids are in, on weekdays setting a time limit from 6-9 pm and on weekdays 7 to 10 or 11 pm would be ideal. Kids in the age group of six to 12 years should be sleeping by 11 pm at the most, otherwise it can harm their biological clock and sleeping pattern and give rise to various physical as well as mental ailments.“
SAFETY FOR KIDS, PARENTS CONCERN
While ideally , what we need to look at when establishing a nightclub for a kid is to ensure their safety , Arpita Chakraborty , mother of a seven-year-old from Bandra says, “Parents would be actually concerned about the safety of their child, above everything else. Just like how we have bouncers and security outside regular nightclubs for adults, ensuring such a safety measure for children would put the parents' minds at ease. These clubs can also include a lounge area for parents where they can wait for their kids.“
Gautam Deshpande, PR manager for a popular nightclub in South Mumbai believes that children between the age group of six and 12 are quite vulnerable and hence exposing them to this concept is not a good idea.He says, “Maybe what we can look at is creating a nightclub kind of environment for kids wherein parents book the club in advance for a birthday party etc, and where we can serve mocktails and non-alcoholic drinks to the kids with a DJ playing in the background. Having a club exclusive to them is not a great idea at all. This will make them behave like adults and may mature them before the right time.“
Educationist Anita Kurup says, “In our country , children transition to adulthood through formalised institutions such as school and family . So encouraging kids' nightclubs to give them the feel of adulthood is not something I would support because it gives them a wrong message about what constitutes an adult lifestyle.“ However, she adds, “If kids are curious to know about nightclubs, there's no harm in introducing them to it in a controlled environment. It's better for them to be introduced to the idea by trusted adults rather than letting them break away and find out things for themselves on the sly .“
AGE-APPROPRIATE ACTIVITIES IS A PRIORITY FOR CHILDREN
On the other hand, actress and TV anchor Tara Sharma believes there's no harm in encouraging kids who love to dance, by taking them to clubs which allow them to dance and have fun. But she believes that children must indulge in activities that suit their age. She says, “Kids absorb everything we offer, happily . It's important to let children be children. We should let them indulge in activities that come naturally to them. I don't think the environment of a nightclub is really necessary at such a young age, especially with the dim lights and loud music.There's a right time and right place for everything and they will be exposed to it later in their life.“
CHANGING THE ENVIRONMENT AND TIME FRAME FOR KIDS
Manu Chandra, co-owner of a gastropub chain says, “The environment of normal nightclubs is usually that of loud thumping music and dim lights, which is not something that is not apt for children and it is better that we keep them away from it. If pubs do wish to cater to kids, they should keep the lighting ample, play soft music or dance numbers that kids can dance on.The focus should be on food and the ambience should be kid-friendly .“
Dr Pavan Sonar, a city-based psychiatrist believes ensuring a time frame for the kids in these nightclubs would be beneficial. He says, “In the age group that these kids are in, on weekdays setting a time limit from 6-9 pm and on weekdays 7 to 10 or 11 pm would be ideal. Kids in the age group of six to 12 years should be sleeping by 11 pm at the most, otherwise it can harm their biological clock and sleeping pattern and give rise to various physical as well as mental ailments.“
SAFETY FOR KIDS, PARENTS CONCERN
While ideally , what we need to look at when establishing a nightclub for a kid is to ensure their safety , Arpita Chakraborty , mother of a seven-year-old from Bandra says, “Parents would be actually concerned about the safety of their child, above everything else. Just like how we have bouncers and security outside regular nightclubs for adults, ensuring such a safety measure for children would put the parents' minds at ease. These clubs can also include a lounge area for parents where they can wait for their kids.“
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