How Smart Is Your Kid

God save me. I cannot see Ma’s/ mummy’s/mamas/ moms, put a silent question to one another when they speak about their little ones.

“Did you know, my Simi got the first prize in drawing competition in her class”, said Mona.

“My Bittu got the best prize in an open singing competition. It’s so difficult for a mother to cope up with such difficult things we go through for the child”, was Rakhi’s reply.

Though mothers want to hype about their own children they think that their child is smarter than the rest. The way they converse with each other show how they want to ask others, “How smart is your kid”, but cannot as this will begin a fight among them.

Cat fights, some call it.

If I am to confess, I have never had the idea to demean someone asking very vague questions about their children. I have never bothered if my kids got the highest marks in some subjects and got less marks in some other. Hardly makes a difference. All that they have to be taught is to study well, get good results and have the mind to compete, for without competition there is no place in this world. And to compete you have to do well in whatever field you like to be in.

But school life lays the foundation for progress in later years. School teaches the minimum basics like Math, very much necessary, English or any vernacular language, that’s also a must, gives insight into History, Geography, Social Studies, General science, Moral Science…very basics which every child should learn.

That does not mean that each and every child should top in the class. Then who will be the next?

It is always good to boost a child to do well but not nag him/her to such an extent that they suffer from stress and strain -- hypertension. And in all this the mother of the child also becomes a sufferer as she is the one who is responsible for building up all this trouble in her and the child’s life.

Each mother has some aspirations to see her child be this or that, but to force that desire to cherish her personal dreams is simple foolishness.

Bringing up a child is an uphill task these days but not a difficult one. If the mother once thinks about her childhood days and how cleverly her mother had tackled the situation she can find a clue to handle the matter very well and in a very positive way.

A little bit of matured thoughts can solve all problems and then there are elders in the family who might be able to give some advice which can be accepted if it is good.

But I will say it is a shame on the part of any mother to look upon others children with a narrow look and then put that silent question, “How smart is your kid?” knowing well her child may be better than the other.

Always better not to enter into cat fights but try to help someone who needs one. Anyway the best will always be the best, but one can move ahead from Good to Better to Best.

That’s how I think. How do you think?