This world is much too competitive.
One has to constantly be on their feet to make their mark, if they wish to.
Ideas are dime a dozen, but only a rare few of them stand out...
I can almost sense the way you are getting bored while reading this pseudo biz-talk.
But I have a reason to be sharing this with you.
The world is not just competitive for adults but for kids too; even for kids as young as 2 to 3 year old, who barely understand the concept of competition!
But since they mostly operate as per the instructions of the adult parent around them, this sense of wanting be be on the top of their game seeps into young minds through us only.
For what?
For achieving all age-appropriate milestones.
For showing skills of a future artist since young age.
For chanting rhymes even before school starts.
For learning all that can be taught later, at the expense of all that constitutes ‘fun’ during childhood.
And in this era, especially, for being able to do all the things that ‘that same-aged child’ is doing in a video on social media.
I wish I could say that I am nothing like the parent next door. But I too beam brighter every time you ace a Skill considered to advance your age.
Thankfully, my pride starts and ends there itself.
Don’t mind, love, but I am sure you will learn all there is to, in school. So while I do feel happy when you excel in all that is considered desirable in young children, I have been spending these days in trying to just goof around like a child, with you.
I don’t teach you traditional rhymes. Instead, I make up rhymes of my own.
I don’t make you write alphabets, but I do show you an array of illustrated books.
I don’t insist that you memorise words, although you do exhibit a really good memory with everything that is spoken around you (much to my agony at times!).
Now if that is being too boastful, then let me share some more.
I introduce you to activities to let you find your likes & dislikes.
And since I have made the effort of getting something for you, I always insist that you at least try the activity.
I took up one particular activity a few days back - drawing & painting.
Yes, kids your age are supposed to be very friendly with drawing & painting activity, and so, I got you colouring pens and a colouring book.
To lead the way, I drew a little, and then offered you the colouring pens to follow suit. Not wanting to influence you or interfere with your artwork, I went to do chores of my own.
Now, I wasn’t insisting that you be competitive. I would have danced, nevertheless, had you even tried drawing the way I had.
Instead, this is what you did -
You hit the pens’ nibs so hard on the paper, that the nibs sunk into the pen, and became useless in giving out color thus.
You looked around and found an interesting object - the color pens’ caps. With the pens having been rendered useless, you showed some real creativity with the caps.
I felt a pat on my leg sometime later, only to turn around and find you standing behind me, with all your fingers having been capped with a colouring pen’s tops, each.
All fingers, but for the thumb, were dancing below my eyes, in fancy attire of caps!
I bit my lip and asked you, “What happened, Piya?”
“Will you help me cap the thumb with this pen’s cap, please?” you said as you presented the fifth cap to me.
“What happened to the colouring pens?” I asked.
You simply insisted that I cap your thumb, as you thrusted the fifth cap in my hand, without bothering to answer me.
I abided and capped your thumb, only to laugh out aloud the very next minute as you jiggled your capped fingers in my face and started singing “Happy birthday to you...”
I have absolutely no idea what brought this on.
I did draw to show you what needed to be done, did I not?
How you went from there to jiggling your fingers with the caps on, still baffles me!
But you did, and with glee.
As I was saying, darling. The world is much too competitive. One is always expected to follow suit, and then one is also expected to bring something new to the table.
If only I can maintain this streak of showing you one thing and witnessing a newer perspective to it from you in return, I will consider my parenting as a job well done.
I will need your help here, though.
Always stay the happy child that you are.
Nothing else will matter, then, trust me.
Love,
Maa.
