Yesterday, I was in a busy store when I saw a little boy lying on the floor, crying loudly. He wanted an expensive chocolate bar. His mother was offering him a small-size candy. She tried to calm him down by offering him a bigger candy, but the child refused. He was vehemently adamant about getting the big-size and gift-wrapped chocolate. Ultimately, the mother surrendered, and she bought him the aspired-for goody. Immediately, the tears stopped, and the boy started laughing and running joyfully! 

I was reminded of one more incident that happened a few days back. A little girl, about five years old, was playing frisbee in a garden along with a few other similar-aged friends. Her father was accompanying her to the playground. He saw that his kid was struggling to throw the frisbee to a faraway distance. After several failed attempts, she started crying. Intending to console the child, the father took the turn and threw the frisbee far off on behalf of the child. The girl jumped up in joy, and instantly, her happiness knew no bounds!

The above two instances have many important parenting lessons for us. 

1) Teaching Kids to Accept “No�?/span>

When a child grows up, life won’t always say “yes.�?Teaching kids to accept “no�?helps build resilience. Children who get everything they want’ll struggle when real challenges come. Saying “no�?isn’t about withholding happiness—it’s about preparing them for reality. 

The mother must have allowed the child to cry and settle with the candy. In the long run, this refusal would have made the child stronger. Kids don’t learn limits when parents give in to every unreasonable demand. They grow up thinking that their desires are instantly fulfilled, which can lead to impatience and poor decision-making. Instead, it is always better to help them understand the difference between needs and wants, which teaches rational thinking.

2) First deserve, then desire 

Parents must educate children to earn their privileges and not just keep those as their demands! The fact of life is that life is never a jackpot; success comes after efforts are made. Kids should learn that rewards follow hard work, not just because they ask for them. When they “earn�?their achievements, they develop responsibility and self-worth. Thus, they get groomed as productive and sensible adults. 

3) The Power of Patience and Effort

Turn around, and you will see many grown-ups in your society experiencing acute impatience. They get depressed on the first failure or an early bottleneck. The little girl in the garden wanted instant success, which her father offered to her on a platter. Will someone keep fulfilling all her lifelong desires, like her father? Not at all. 

It would have been better if the father had allowed his daughter to fail once. He could have counseled her to be patient and coached her in playing frisbee. With some guidance, she could have learned a lesson in persistence-driven improvement. These days, patience has become a rare commodity among youth, and inappropriate parenting is primarily to blame. 

4) Growth Comes from consistent efforts. 

The father in the park should have demonstrated a growth mindset. Instead of offering his daughter a dummy success, he must have invested in skilling the child. It’s essential for youth to develop the right attitude. That is how you empower them to take on the challenges of tomorrow. Today’s kids need to be taught that ‘long-term success�?is built on the foundation of “consistent short-term efforts!�?/span>

Friends, in this world where people expect instant rewards like a popcorn machine and express high impatience because of the 20-second reel syndrome, the ability to wait with a calm mind is invaluable. As parents and grown-ups, we must invest in building resilience and patience in our kids.

Parenting is not just about giving birth to a baby; you are actually giving birth and grooming a whole new generation. Think about this.

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Disclaimer

Views expressed above are the author's own.

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