When I was teaching in a school at Bellary, Karnataka, many years back, a mother approached me, expressing her desire for a personal conversation. She revealed her unfulfilled dream of becoming an engineer due to financial struggles. Now, with the means to support her children’s education, she wanted her daughter to be a doctor and her son an engineer. She urged me to pressure them to excel academically. This situation may resonate with many parents. This prompts me to ask the question: Are we projecting our unfulfilled dreams onto our children, or are we allowing them to discover and pursue their own passions? As teachers and parents, let us support our children in uncovering their hidden potentials and fulfilling their unique aspirations.
Relentless Competition
After attending parent-teacher meetings and signing their children’s Progress Reports, many parents are eager to know the grades of other students, fostering a sense of competition. However, it is crucial to question whether we are teaching our children to compete with themselves. Rather than encouraging healthy self-improvement, an excessive focus on outperforming others can lead to a lifelong pattern of relentless competition. It is essential to guide our children to compete with their own capabilities. If we instill a mindset solely focused on surpassing others, they may carry this attitude into their professional lives, creating a stressful and potentially harmful work environment. This hyper-competitive spirit may drive them to constantly pursue material success, leaving little room for life’s joys and potentially harming relationships with others.
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