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AUTHOR: Benita Bhatia Dua

I love having discussions with my son. He helps me gain perspective to life. As odd as it may seem, my son has taught me a lot. This Valentine’s Day, was his birthday and I compiled the things I’ve learned from him.

1. Wow! It started way back when he could speak only a few words. ‘Wow’ was one of his favourites. Everything in the world was ‘wow’ to him. “When I pedal on my cycle it actuals moves the wheels forward? Wow!” “The stars shine at night? Wow!” That’s when I realised, everything in the world truly is wow. All we need is to notice and admire it.

2. Patience As he grew up, I learned the lessons of patience. You see, like most kids, my son has tested my patience more than once every single day. Usually, I manage to keep it. Occasionally, I lose and bear the consequences. Either way, I know for a fact that I’ve become a more patient person.

3. Logical Reasoning My son functions on logic. Tell him you shouldn’t do it and he’ll want to know why. ‘Because I say so’ is not logical and hence not acceptable. It has made me think of logical reasons that his 11-year old mind can absorb, thereby enhancing my logical reasoning.

4. The Value of a Promise I rarely use the word ‘promise’ loosely. I realised how much it can mean to someone when my son said, ‘but you promised!’ It was unthinkable for him that I’d make a promise and break it. When I asked him probing questions, I realised he thought it was okay for ‘others’ to break a promise but he expected me to keep mine, since so far I had never broken my promise to him. I strive everyday to never to break a promise. When I know I may not be able to deliver, I don’t make a promise.

5. The Value of Passion It started with a discussion about a wall he wanted to makeover, having seen one which his friend had filled with newspaper clippings of cars. He said he wasn’t that keen on cars, and wanted to know what else he could do. As our discussion progressed, I realised how important it is to find what you’re passionate about. Yet, few adults realise it’s importance and fewer still try to find what they are passionate about. Needless to say, I felt proud that my son was already on the journey.

6. Creativity at all ages Have you ever thought you weren’t creative or wished you were more creative? Try looking at things from a child’s perspective and you’ll find creativity dug deep in you. e.g what if you cut an apple into rounds instead of strips? Or maybe make something out of it.

With this ability to think differently, he has made a video which is now showcased as a corporate video. You can check it out on vanillaskills.com

Now I better understand William Wordsworth saying:

The child is father of The man”.

What did you learn from your child?

P.S. In case you’re wondering why I didn’t use his/ our photo, he has also taught me the 7th lesson – nothing on the internet is private. He values his privacy. 😉