This is a sponsored post for Surf Excel's #ReadyForLife Campaign and was first published on MyCity4Kids.com
A firm believer of positive parenting, I know that
excellence is a habit, not an act; and that it takes practice and perseverance.
That is why I am constantly on the lookout for opportunities when I can teach
my little one something new and valuable. Many times I have used his outrageous
demands, or the petty squabbles he has had with his friends as examples to
teach values to him that I feel are important to be #ReadyForLife.
However, my little one being an only child, I have had no
opportunity to teach him one of the most important values of all – sharing! So
far, that is, until last week; when one such opportunity presented itself!
Its summer and the schools are shut. With the temperatures
soaring to way over normal, children are now forced to stay indoors on
extremely hot afternoons – no doubt a boring prospect for energetic seven –
eight year olds! So then some of us mothers got together and planned playdates
for our little devils so that they can have all the fun they want indoors!
Obviously, the children welcomed the idea enthusiastically as was evident from
their tired, sweaty and happy faces playdate after playdate. We took turns in
having children over to each of our homes. And then it was my turn.
My little one’s best friend arrived mid-morning on a sunny
Tuesday and the wonderful playdate began. Like a good house guest, he had
brought some cookies. And he had also brought with him some toys of his own to
play in case the boys got bored playing with what my little one had at home. I
was happily looking forward to catching up on my work and some reading with a
tall glass of iced tea by my side! But as you’d have already guessed, that was
not to happen!
Within a half hour of the boys being sent into my little
one’s room, I heard loud voices – like they were fighting. Now, my little one
has been always taught to be a good host and he knows he is not allowed to
fight with his guests; and no matter how much he wants to scream, he just
can’t. (He gets special bonus points for that :)) So I was genuinely surprised
when I heard his raised voice too. I decided to go check what the fuss was all
about.
In his room I found paints and brushes scattered all over
the floor with two white sheets on which some painting was in progress; and the
boys haggling over a bottle of Gold paint. I asked them what the matter was and
they said that they had decided to do painting and started on their respective
pictures. Apparently my little one’s friend had brought paints and brushes of
his own for just such a situation. And so the painting started. But as they
progressed, my little one took out his Silver and Gold paints that his friend
did not have and started telling him how his picture was more shiny and
glittery because of these special paints! The friend obviously got upset and
demanded he be given these too. My little one refused and they started
fighting.
Yes! I thought. I was finally handed on a platter, the
opportunity I had been waiting for! I sat down with them and explained that
colours are an excellent and magical thing. When you mix two different colours
a completely different and beautiful colour is formed. How does that happen?
Each of the colours share a little of themselves to create a completely new and
beautiful colour that looks and feels even more beautiful that each of them
individually would. Sharing then, is beautiful, isn’t it, I said them. So why
not my little one and his friend too share their colours so that each had a
huge set of more than twenty colours to choose from rather than each using only
the ten or twelve they had? And as for the Gold and the Silver colours I told
my little one that he should share those with his friend so that his friend can
make his picture special too; and take it home to remember it forever as the
one he painted on a playdate he had with his best friend!
I don’t know which of my arguments worked, but they both
seemed to take my talk seriously and the next hour went by in companionable
silence as they both painted their respective pictures. When they showed me
their pictures eventually, I was very happy to see both pictures had almost
similar colours and more importantly, both pictures had the Gold and the
Silver!
Of course, those pictures were not the only ones that got
painted that day. My little one’s T-shirt had at least half the colours, if not
all; on it. Some paint was on his friend too, but his friend had more chosen to
paint himself than his clothes. I had to make them both wash up immediately and
while they played a board game later on the balcony, I dumped my little one’s
T- shirt in the laundry basket mentally calculating the effort it was going to
take to rid it of all that paint.
But you know what, I didn’t mind the effort one bit;
instead, I was happy that I had taught my little one a very important value
that day – the value of sharing! And I would really like to believe that he
always remembers how beautiful it is to share and how one’s happiness only
increases when one shares what one has. I hope this is one more value that will
help make my little one #ReadyForLife.
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