It's interesting how all parents feel that they have to teach every thing to their kids...and if they don't then how will the children learn the important aspects of life, the solutions to the issues and the problems they could face etc etc.?
I also think the same way - I feel it's my responsibility to teach my child everything that this life and the world has to offer, prepare him as he grows up and faces each new day. And of course, it's a responsibility at which I can't afford to fail.
But the last 2 weeks have been the reverse direction of teaching - my son taught me something beautiful; rather reminded me of something that I try to teach him!
While I have largely spent my last 6 months desperately trying to deal with the changes in my life (and often not dealing with them very well), my son has also been dealing with his set of changes. But in a totally different way!
Two things happened last week - my son got a new pair of glasses, yeah, he's very small but needs to wear them. What can be done?
And, I told my son that he would be changing his school next month. He's very happy with the current school that he is going to.
So last week was very stressful for me; I was not sure how he would react and adjust to the glasses, what his friends would say and how he would deal with those comments.
I was also worried wondering if he would be okay with the news of changing schools, since he is already so well settled in the current one.
Glasses:
So I had a full speech prepared for him. "Glasses - don't worry about glasses, even I wear them, daddy wears them. If our eyes are weak, we wear glasses, but it's fun. It makes us look so grown up. You are a big boy but now, with glasses, you are almost a grown up!"
With all this, I made him try on his new glasses and asked him if he was comfortable, almost ready to repeat my above speech on a Big 'NO' reply from him. And he said, "It's okay mummy, I am fine."
"Are you sure?" "Yes, can I go and play now?" And off he went!
That's it! No more questions, no complains and no comments! We haven't discussed the glasses since then. Every morning, after getting dressed for school, he simply puts on his glasses and leaves for school!
School:
Explaining to him about why we are changing his school, giving him all the good reasons for moving to a bigger school, which would be more fun (and I had several exciting things about the new school prepared in my head to tell him), he interrupts me and I have this brilliant conversation with him:
Son - Will this school be far?
Me - Yes
Son - So does that mean I will go in a bigger bus, like a double decker?
Me - May be, yes
Son - Awesome! And since you are saying it's a bigger school, will it have a bigger playground and classes and more toys?
Me - Yeah, it would
Son - Great, when am I going there?
Me - Soon! Are you okay with this change?
Son - Yeah mummy..it's okay!
I smiled and wondered how easily my son accepted the changes; for a 3 year old, these kind of changes can be very overwhelming. But I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was overthinking it and was grossly wrong in my expectation of the outcome.
And he is right... it's okay mummy! If we spend less time fretting about the change and more in trying to see the positive things effected from the change, we will be far more adept at handling it. We will also be able to channelize our energy into more productive things or find solutions to the new problems associated with those changes.
No one's life is constant, we all go through changes in our everyday lives - small and big ones. How easy would it become if we focus on the good things that those changes bring in our lives. Might help us deal with the not-so-good things that come along too.
This attitude will also keep the people around us upbeat.
My 3 year old reminded me of what I keep preaching him; it's okay, just see the good things coming with the change and keep up with it!
Deal with the change mum...and keep up with it!
I also think the same way - I feel it's my responsibility to teach my child everything that this life and the world has to offer, prepare him as he grows up and faces each new day. And of course, it's a responsibility at which I can't afford to fail.
But the last 2 weeks have been the reverse direction of teaching - my son taught me something beautiful; rather reminded me of something that I try to teach him!
While I have largely spent my last 6 months desperately trying to deal with the changes in my life (and often not dealing with them very well), my son has also been dealing with his set of changes. But in a totally different way!
Two things happened last week - my son got a new pair of glasses, yeah, he's very small but needs to wear them. What can be done?
And, I told my son that he would be changing his school next month. He's very happy with the current school that he is going to.
So last week was very stressful for me; I was not sure how he would react and adjust to the glasses, what his friends would say and how he would deal with those comments.
I was also worried wondering if he would be okay with the news of changing schools, since he is already so well settled in the current one.
Glasses:
So I had a full speech prepared for him. "Glasses - don't worry about glasses, even I wear them, daddy wears them. If our eyes are weak, we wear glasses, but it's fun. It makes us look so grown up. You are a big boy but now, with glasses, you are almost a grown up!"
With all this, I made him try on his new glasses and asked him if he was comfortable, almost ready to repeat my above speech on a Big 'NO' reply from him. And he said, "It's okay mummy, I am fine."
"Are you sure?" "Yes, can I go and play now?" And off he went!
That's it! No more questions, no complains and no comments! We haven't discussed the glasses since then. Every morning, after getting dressed for school, he simply puts on his glasses and leaves for school!
School:
Explaining to him about why we are changing his school, giving him all the good reasons for moving to a bigger school, which would be more fun (and I had several exciting things about the new school prepared in my head to tell him), he interrupts me and I have this brilliant conversation with him:
Son - Will this school be far?
Me - Yes
Son - So does that mean I will go in a bigger bus, like a double decker?
Me - May be, yes
Son - Awesome! And since you are saying it's a bigger school, will it have a bigger playground and classes and more toys?
Me - Yeah, it would
Son - Great, when am I going there?
Me - Soon! Are you okay with this change?
Son - Yeah mummy..it's okay!
I smiled and wondered how easily my son accepted the changes; for a 3 year old, these kind of changes can be very overwhelming. But I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was overthinking it and was grossly wrong in my expectation of the outcome.
And he is right... it's okay mummy! If we spend less time fretting about the change and more in trying to see the positive things effected from the change, we will be far more adept at handling it. We will also be able to channelize our energy into more productive things or find solutions to the new problems associated with those changes.
No one's life is constant, we all go through changes in our everyday lives - small and big ones. How easy would it become if we focus on the good things that those changes bring in our lives. Might help us deal with the not-so-good things that come along too.
This attitude will also keep the people around us upbeat.
My 3 year old reminded me of what I keep preaching him; it's okay, just see the good things coming with the change and keep up with it!
Deal with the change mum...and keep up with it!
