Unlearning and learning with kids

I am a proud bua (paternal aunt ) of my little nephew. Children are truly a blessing a God and maybe while we teach them the words, actions, mannerisms to exist and function through this world, these little rays of sunlight are here to teach us in their playful little ways.

This is not a large blog, rather a littlest story of a small incident which changed in some ways how I felt guilty about wanting appreciation sometimes.

So, here he is, the little baby, in all his glory trying to stand up with support using his soft little baby arms and the moment he could do so, he shouts with joy and looks over with a smile, wanting to show that look I did something cool. He makes loud baby noises each time he wants something, and this time was as little as playing with the switches. He just wanted to switch on and switch off all the buttons and while he can’t do it on his own and someone presses them for him and he tries to do the actions, he looks over with a sheer joy with loud baby noises as if to say — Look, I did it, I am smart and strong and I am happy I did something. He loved it but the only difference was he would have been just enough ok without us looking.

It was at this moment, that I suddenly felt not so guilty about wanting to show what I do best, or sometimes when we look good and we want that little appreciation from someone. But what I also learnt from the little humpty ( he won’t take offense as he is the slimmest and tallest kid I have seen) is that its ok to be joyful about looking good, wanting to show off some of on the better days. And maybe make enough bids of attention so that the loving people around us come to us and sometimes give us that validation but be completely ok if we don’t receive them and not make it mean anything about us.

I love how, in that moment, the messaging from social media about not wanting validation anytime, any single time, just went away. it’s simply human nature ❤ ❤

Dedicated to my little bundle of joy, my nephew, my little teacher ❤

Love & Light ❤

Ritika