Can we see the world from the child’s point of view? Can we try living his life?
Not literally, of course. May be it sounds crazy or even impossible? A difficult question, indeed. Let us give it a try, explore the untrodden roads of the ‘private life of a child’.
Innocence, love, passion for adventure, carefree attitude, relaxed at wrong moments, insatiable curiosity, a mixed bag of joy and responsibility – these terms could paint the image of the child from the adult’s point of view. We are so obsessed with our own lives, work and stress that we miss out a few more terms in this list: Trust, yearning for the sense of security, experimenting facts, asserting independence, the ability to monitor the vibes of the grown-ups. Sounds too bookish and theoretical? Hold on.
When was it the last time that you were really confined to bed? You and I, we have all certainly undergone at least one such terrible period. All that flashes in our mind is that we were so dependent on others, longing for love, care and empathy. And the burning desires to be set free to live the life of our choice. The child looks forward to these, too, but on a positive note. We have to fall sick to understand what trust and love mean. He is simply normal.
We do not like to be compared with someone who performs better. The ego hurts and the self-esteem takes a nose-dive. As for the child, it triggers an internal breakdown switching off the love for learning, in order to outdo his own previous records.
Was it Jesus who said “Do unto others what you like others to do unto you”? In our context, maybe we should say, ‘Be what you want your child to be’. Very true!!!! Don’t we see a little of our own mother and father in ourselves – whether on a ‘good’ note or an ‘unwanted’ trait?
It would pay rich dividends to relive our childhood through the child, enjoying the happiness that we might have missed, rather than dumping our lost dreams into him so as to see the second ideal version of our very own “improved’ self.
That’s food for thought.
Result: Your child enjoys a blessed childhood.
