By Ankita Purohit
Do you brag too much about your child’s achievements?
Raising children isn’t an easy task. It needs real efforts to build a child’s ‘perfect’ personality. If we look around, literally every married couple, who has one or more kids, is too determined to make their children highly skilled and competitive. This is followed to the extent that unless (s)he always flourishes in whichever field he or she chooses and is liked by everyone, he/she isn’t allowed to be given rewards. By the term ‘rewards’ I tend to imply to certain activities that is genuinely enjoyed by children such as buying an ice-cream or bicycle or a Barbie doll if specific tasks are accomplished. And there is a long list of achievements such as being stood first in the class, earning trophies while performing for extra-curricular activities, and so on.
Everyone loves their children and they always wish their child always maintains that position. But that doesn’t sound practical since everyone has a baggage reserved for both ups and downs and your children ain’t exception. Complimenting them ALL the time may make them potential narcissists in the coming future who wouldn’t be able to handle the failure, if ever encounter it, in their own adulthood. How misguided they would be!
What if your child scores extremely good marks? What if he or she is also smart in winning tournaments and bringing trophies at home? Have you ever monitored your own behavior while you start talking to your fellow mates? Do you blab literally about your own children and do not give a single damn about what others are up to, probably because you ‘think’ other children are worthless and it is always about your own kids? Have you ever imagined what kind of impact does it create in your fellow members’ mind if you brag too much for your child’s achievements?
First of all, your children may be bright enough to get themselves secured in the top institutions but other children aren’t foolish. Your daughter may be good at Math but your neighbor’s son is enthusiastic enough to learn about the History and is pretty capable to answer almost all questions being asked with thorough explanation. The point is ALL children are naturally gifted with some kind of talent, and measuring their worth through securing mere grades indicates that you have an adolescent mind.
Secondly, there are tons of examples throughout the mankind’s history quite evident that no matter how dumb a child appears in his or her initial years, he/she CAN bring a significant change in the society as a whole. Our great scientist Albert Einstein started speaking at the age of 3-4 years and actually understood reading and writing the words at the age of 7. He also battled Dyslexia. And everyone who is into the science and research field knows how great his achievements were. Still in the doubt that scoring marks matter!
People suffocate when you utter non-sensical and misleading statements. The ‘other’ child that you ‘think’ is dumb WILL remember you throughout his/her life and will always hate you to the core. Don’t be immature that you cannot handle even moderate level of failures, else your own child will be ruined with depression. So, why self-praising unnecessarily if you as well as your child is uncertain of what comes in the future?