Comparisons inspire our children, we usually believe as parents. Before we do it should we not also think about the potential of the child in the area where the comparison comes in?
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“Look, it doesn’t matter even if all in your group pick up the tricks before you or they all emerge as experts. What I’m interested in is you picking up the basic skills from Sir before he wraps up this training session. Forget them all, just watch Sir’s movements and follow what he says. Because that is the purpose –you learn to swim and later enjoy swimming.” He looked straight into my eyes and stopped sulking.
Did those words carry a magic potion? Did they give him a comfort he badly needed at that time? Call it a miracle or what; he learned the tricks within a week, taking major strides every single day and making up for the last few days of disinterest. The father was visibly happy and the son came home routinely with an exciting story of the day’s achievement. When the month-long rigorous training was finally over, my son stood where most of the other learners were!
Months later, when autumn arrived, Dev was back in the pool with his friends, splashing around and making merry in the water, covering the length and width of the pool, arms moving fast and wide, doing breast strokes and butterfly strokes, gliding in and out of water adeptly, his pace and skilful, smart moves belying that this was the same boy who had almost given up on swimming!
What if we had kept comparing and pressurizing him to learn as fast as some others during those days of training?
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That was from my book 'Rays and Rains'.....
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“Look, it doesn’t matter even if all in your group pick up the tricks before you or they all emerge as experts. What I’m interested in is you picking up the basic skills from Sir before he wraps up this training session. Forget them all, just watch Sir’s movements and follow what he says. Because that is the purpose –you learn to swim and later enjoy swimming.” He looked straight into my eyes and stopped sulking.
Did those words carry a magic potion? Did they give him a comfort he badly needed at that time? Call it a miracle or what; he learned the tricks within a week, taking major strides every single day and making up for the last few days of disinterest. The father was visibly happy and the son came home routinely with an exciting story of the day’s achievement. When the month-long rigorous training was finally over, my son stood where most of the other learners were!
Months later, when autumn arrived, Dev was back in the pool with his friends, splashing around and making merry in the water, covering the length and width of the pool, arms moving fast and wide, doing breast strokes and butterfly strokes, gliding in and out of water adeptly, his pace and skilful, smart moves belying that this was the same boy who had almost given up on swimming!
What if we had kept comparing and pressurizing him to learn as fast as some others during those days of training?
..............................................
That was from my book 'Rays and Rains'.....
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