Is there any learning in these experiences?
- Child experiencing (and cribbing about) hot weather
- Child experiencing achievement in baking cookies
- Child experiencing shyness in interacting with guests
- Child experiencing fun in jumping on the sofa
- Child experiencing anxiety in sharing his/her toys
The mother had encouraged him, goaded him, wished, and prayed for him. He had told her, “Yes mama, I will win the race”.
Loaded with expectations, as he came back from school, mother asked, “You won”?
He replied, almost triumphantly, “Neeraj won the race. I wanted him to win because he wanted to win so much. I helped him win. But I feel like a winner!
Yes, indeed he won – not the race but his friend’s heart.
Its great fun to make wrong choices. The fun part is not in the wrong part of it – it’s in the making of choices. And sooner we learn that no matter what we do, no matter what age we grow up to, wrong choices are as much a part of our life, as the right choices.
What better time – to cut children loose of your decision making and hence develop their own.
What better time – for children to realize that there are no wrong or right choices – just that each choice leads to a different consequence.
What better time – by making wrong decisions – for children to learn that consequences can be thought, planned and taken care of in advance.
What better time – for children to live with whatever consequences and learn to accept them, learn from them, and enjoy them.
During this time let children decide how to spend time, what to buy (give them budget), what to wear, whom to learn, and so on. A common concern shown by parents is that if I let the child decide, she will watch TV the whole day – create other options the child has other than TV!
Is there any learning in the child’s experiences?