Parenting through a Short Story

Surprisingly, a lot of friends are suddenly asking me a lot of questions on parenting these days. I think? final exams of their teens are near :-) or the words like med, non med, commerce, humanities, sports, modelling, chef, auto designing, rapper have now reached the stage and season of ‘4C2x2’ ( =12) daily blames in a family of 4 or ‘3C2x2’=6 if only one child. A really frustrating blame game.

Well, I’m no expert in such a grey field but there is one story that I heard fortunately at the right time when my kids were very small. It made a permanent place in my mind and heart.

Once, a young boy visited a park with his father. In the center of the park stood an oak tree. The boy, eager to explore, climbed an overhanging branch with his father's support and perched on a lower branch. Encouraged by his father, he then aimed for a higher branch. From this new viewpoint, everything looked different, sparking the boy's ambition to climb even higher.

As the boy ascended further, the father's initial enthusiasm turned to discomfort, urging his son to be cautious. However, captivated by the thrill of the cool breeze and the distant view of fields, the boy continued his ascent, immersing himself in the discovery of a new world vision.

The father's anxiety escalated, leading him to shout and scold, threatening never to bring the boy to the park again if he didn't come down. Unaffected, the boy remained engrossed in his adventure, oblivious to the potential risks. Next branch, next branch. Up. Up.

Father’s anger, loud shouting and what not….

Long story short - why father’s behavior is such towards the end .

Here’s the thing.

The height, the new world view, the thrill are boy’s upside only. The father can’t see or feel this. The entire upside is boy’s.

Father is worried about the fall, the fractures, the hospitalization, permanent disability, danger to life - part of all downside.

The story looks simple but it is not. If we just see it from a parent’s angle :

Every parent’s ‘end of the world perception’ threshold is different.

Some parents tried to see the world? from such a height themselves in the past, successfully or unsuccessfully and respond? accordingly.

Some parents find themselves confident to take the child out of such potential downside. Some just didn’t understand where the risk turned into stupidity.

Some more questions, may be, but I leave the rest to your imagination.

Cheers !