Realization

Personally, I always felt informal learning leaves more of an impact. Look around, and I’m sure there is something new that you’ll learn every single day.

 

It hit me just this month, that my boy is moving on to a different phase already. His behaviour, his questions, his defence mode, his sensitivity – made some turn recently. He is still very much his gentle, non-aggressive self, but becoming more defensive at times – even with words. There will be times he will question why someone else is getting different treatment, or another person gets to buy something that we feel is not of benefit to him at the moment.

 

Just this morning, I had to explain to him to not always see people who are more fortunate than he is, instead look at those people who had none. It was tough finding the right words to suit his young mind and interpretation, but he managed to appear cheerful again just before we reached my mum’s place. I hope I made it clear to him that one does not have to have everything that money can buy just to have fun. By using what’s available around him too, he can have all the fun in the world.

 

It’s a material world, no doubt. He sees people having everything, he assumes they have money. He questioned when his Babah would have lots of money too. What he doesn’t know was, those people with everything not necessarily have money, and those without might even have more. But of course it is too early to start explaining on credit cards and debts, no? Maybe it’s gentler to start educating on wants and needs, instead. A gentle reminder from the Babah though - even if we have lots of money, it does not mean we need to spend it all. It’s not good to just have something for the sake of having it. We need to make sure we really, really need it.

 

My boy is growing up fast, and we have to catch up and twist our way to be able to cope with his demands. He’s learning from us, and we are learning so much more from him.