What Watching Animal Planet With My son for 1 year Taught Me?
Photo by Timon Studler on Unsplash
It all started when my son turned one and he was more attentive and curious about the things around him. He was a silent observer and not a cranky one at all. Hence I had to hugely monitor his every action and interest as his introvert nature was a hurdle to understand him. It’s the genes guys, his father is the same. Hence I started being more attentive to his reactions.
Point 1-He likes animals, dogs, cats, insects, cows, pigeons and crows, practically anything that moves and that is not human or vehicle. I decided to expose him to the bigger world. The plethora of fauna and flora found in the Animal planet channel.
But, what happened after a year of watching animal planet with this little fellow was that!
“ He hated when the lion or the hunters hunted down the herbivorous.”
I didn’t realize at first that animal planet also showcased the animal diet and that included hunting, killing and munching down on the animal!
He used to cry at first and I used to change channels. After all, babies need not know the meaning of brutal death.
I stopped letting him watch it without my presence so that I could only monitor when the cute little pandas, kangaroos, and all animal cubs presented their best to the world. Oh, and the penguins became his favorites.
But on a longer run, he and I made peace with the fact of the animal diet.
The lion is going to kill to live.
The hyenas are going to fight their siblings till death to overpower.
The birds guard their eggs and feel helpless when the eggs are stolen in front of them.
The turtles are going to lose their babies to the sea and birds, lizards, foxes!
The weather will destroy their happy lives.
It’s nature, in all its glory. It’s creation in all it’s manifestation.
He was fine with it. I made peace with it as well!
Am I a bad parent?
This was a constant question that lingered on when I switched on to the animal planet channel. But no, he started recognizing animals, imitated their sounds and asked me to play elephant along with him. But he still loathed the killings.
But this time, he has grown up! He chooses to switch off the tv for a few minutes and switches it on again.
We both are fine with it!
The survival of the fittest is true everywhere!
Whenever I watch these channels. I can’t help but wonder how these beasts are actually going after the slow, lazy and fat ones! If you aren’t fast enough, smart enough and clever enough, you are eventually going to be somebody’s dinner.
The same applies to the human world as well. At least that is what a lot of generations before us said. Yes, it is true to a certain extent. But also do you realize that we are the only intellectual beings who can control this factor.
Fast enough, quick enough, smart enough compared to whom?
This is survival of the fittest compared to YOU, you from the day before or the year before. What are you made of? kick the laziness, learn new languages, learn new skills, keep upgrading, it’s a continuous process. Never lag behind. This is it.
Live In The Moment
Keep focusing on yourself, improve your skills, practice public speaking, accept the fear of failure and fight every day without taking the burden of it. because even animals don’t know they will be killed.
Deers make love like there is no tomorrow.
The lion cubs play with a siblingship that is pure and loving every moment of it.
Get out of the comfort zone and parent payroll
IS there in the history that an animal parent actually looked after the kid all lifespan., No, after a certain age, the cubs, chicks, the cats, the crow's everything needs to fin a way to live in this world.
To work is not a burden, to work and live is a way of life.
Love, live, eat, be grateful and keep learning.
Until Next time Folks,
With love,
Brunda Sunil
