Being Grateful: “Check” !!

The young little man on the featured image of this blog post is my soon-to-turn-four year old boy. This moment was captured about two years ago when he was completely oblivious to a lot of things such as sharks, whales, dinosaurs  –  which would clearly explain the demonstration of his fearless enthusiasm in this image!

Time flew….No. That would be an understatement. It vanished!

However, irrespective of time, one unknowingly, yet so often undermines what a child can absorb, and the depth at which he/she can perceive/comprehend situations. Overrated is the notion that a child grasps only the surface of a given circumstance.

Around and about our home, my husband and I try as hard as we possibly can to make sure that whatever the kids confront within our daily routines, are instances which have a positive impact on their behavior . This includes responses to anyone that they come across both inside, as well as outside the boundaries of our home.

The lesson due – love, kindness and goodness all begin at home and MUST, in order for one to display the same outside the walls of it.

We do sorry’s, thank you’s, please’s, may I’s, and the WHOLE  package consistently (not effortlessly let me assure you!!)  in hopes to imbibe and get the message across. As the infamous saying goes – “your child will follow your example not your advice”.

Having said that, you never really feel that you’re EVER doing a good job at it ! Subsequently, the little ones repeatedly saying sorry, thank you and please from a very early age makes you feel as though all your overwhelming efforts went into these words being recorded in their minds without a purpose. Eventually, you sit and hope that in time, it will be utilized at the opportune moments.

In the last couple of months my boy has constantly been on thank you’s. His little sister being the person that she is, takes on from her brother -leaving absolutely no spaces in replication!

There were “thank you for washing me”, “thank you for reading me a book”, “thank you for playing” and these gestures were rapidly canonballing each day. So, I decided, the next time that I am thanked, I will reason with him apart from simply feeling good about myself owing to the spoken demonstration of gratitude from my son – He’s way too small to understand and appreciate!! (Or so I told myself.)

Last week we got him a toy minion walkie-talkie that he had desperately been asking for. Upon leaving the toy shop and reaching towards the parking lot, which was quite a bit of a walk, he suddenly realized that the package was broken and the wrong battery pack was provided. Knowing what an eventful day we had that morning and how exhausted my husband and I appeared (visually!), my son just held the toy in his hand and stared blankly at us, hoping that the response would first trigger at our end.

I ofcourse, immediately decided to get it changed knowing how much he had yearned for this and patiently waited. I ran the long way back and got the toy exchanged. Upon returning , I realized half way through that the wrong battery pack hadn’t been replaced. So I ran back once again holding hands with my little boy who throughout these marathon sessions just did as he was told and calmly waited for his issues to be resolved.

This time he did not say “Thank you”. I let it pass and further confirmed in my mind that he was yet to absorb the need for this phrase and when it must be used.

Once home, I was helping him get into his pyjamas. He kissed me on the cheek and said “Thank you”.

Confused slightly I responded – ” Why thank you son?”

He narrated ” I wanted the walkie-talkie. You brought it. It was broken. You were tired. You took it back and brought another one for me. The battery was wrong. You took it back again and brought the right battery . You are very nice.I’m so happy with you. I love you. Thank you.”

I held him very tightly for a long long while. It was now my turn to undo all the underminings in my mind and appreciate the deep understanding with which my little man had absorbed the situation.

Lesson 1. Being Grateful : “Check” ! 🙂

PS. I’m so happy with you too darling!!!