“Failure is simply an opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford
Opportunities – favorable moments or chances. A chance to grab and show your mettle. We get numerous favorable opportunities in life to grab and grow. Sometimes we miss out on certain chances and at times we win, but our failures do not mean we are not worth it. Same applies to our children, they rise or fall but every opportunity teaches a lesson for life. Give them hope of keep going, even if they fall.
A lost-found opportunities saga from past –
At the age of 14, I picked up on learning ‘Kathak’ dance tuition and was pretty good with the ‘todas’ and dance rhythms. Basic was smooth and I could follow the instructions well, but the advanced level got tougher. To excel in the second level, I would practice day and night or whenever get any chance. Mother was not very happy seeing me toil under duress. I recall very well, it was the annual day of dance class everyone was filled with excitement, and some dignitaries were also invited.
Guruji was a great teacher, but a tough disciplinarian. For him, nothing else matters but ‘excellence‘. On the D day, my performance was slotted on the fourth number and I was dead nervous. Nerves got the worst of me, and I fainted in the green room. All I could feel was Guruji shouting and chaos everywhere, some hands shifted this feeble unconscious girl to sick room and that’s it.
Mother narrated the incident to me when I came back to senses, and later I was informed my whole practice gone wasted. Guruji even refused to issue the learner’s certificate, blown out by this fiasco I promised never to dance again. When mother learned about this, she met the school cultural committee and enrolled my name in dance and drama. Year after year I was a constant member of the dance troupe at the school level. Kathak fiasco was forgotten and dusted long back in memory, thanks to mother for providing a new opportunity to learn and grow.
Be the ‘PUSH’ they require –
We are the positive guiding force behind our children, and my heart pains a lot when I read or see children taking drastic steps under pressure. Why do we only accept ‘excellence‘ or ‘outstanding‘ as remarks? Think of the undue pressure we build around our children.
When father used to take my math class around 9th grade, I would get nervous while doing a simple division problem. However, during sessions with mother or at school toughest equations or problems would look easy. It is all about mind-games, how our mind tricks and impacts everyone around.
Some frequently used phrases – “I have spent so much money on your education; don’t disappoint me” may mark a huge impact on child’s brain. Be the positive push and not a warning sign-post in your child’s life.
Failure is just a process, not the destination
Every failure opens a new door, our role as parents is to guide children towards newer opportunities.
Let them identify their core and develop interest. Forced interests are like a fad, they gain momentum but fizz out soon.
Keep motivating them with positivity, refrain from adding false hopes. Fase expectations bring wrong hopes and unexpected results.
Children are far dearer than trophies or medals, let them choose and decide.
This post is written for #BlogchatterA2Z series by Blogchatter, and my theme for this challenge is Gleeful Parenting.
Previously from the series –
M for Me and Mine.
N for Never say No.
10 Comments
Knowing when and how to stop yourself from saying what you want to makes you a parent. We may say something and forget it, but children remember those words forever.
Inspiring article. I love the last part. Parents mostly make the mistake of saying this to heir children about how much they spend for education.. This creates a huge gap between the child and the parent. P is for plethora of emotions.
What you said is true sometimes a failure leaves a sad impression on a kid’s mind. They just dont want to attempt it again
Failure is just a steeping stone to eventual success…failure is certainly not the end.
Very nice post 🙂
Inspiring post it is. So true that failure is not the end. It sometimes proves to be an opportunity in disguise.
No one is perfect. That includes the parents and the children. Not expecting but accepting the children as they are and not as we want them goes a long way in making a fine human being out of a child!
Wise counsel , Dipika!
Agree completely. As parents , we need to encourage our kids and guide them. Pressurising is not going to help at all.
I have been meaning to write on this for sometime, Deepika. Glad you wrote on this. We as parents should encourage our kids, however we should know when the child is not genuinely enjoying the activity. The activity should be for the child’s benefit, and not for massaging your ego.
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