Learning to know, Learning to fall.

Few weeks ago someone rolled her eyes at me and my daughter in the train. She was a working adult, carrying a twisted balloon which has drawings on it. It was a peak hour train ride at 6.00pm. Perhaps she was thinking that my poor baby was eyeing that balloon but really, Charley was just craving for some sort of attention. However, that’s not what I wanted to talk about today.

Call me a strict mum but I believe that whatever you guide/teach your child now it will form on their behavior and learning even as early as 8 months old. Why do I say that? Because babies have a really absorbent brain which is similar to a sponge now. Imagine a newly bought hard disk, or a shower sponge if you must. If you repeatedly curse in front of your baby, your baby will definitely pick that language up and use it back when they get more verbal.

So when others carry Charley and says the ‘wrong’ things I spare no effort to correct them immediately. For eg, one does not say gai-gai (shopping) to a baby when the baby is not going out. People asked me, ‘What’s the big deal? Your baby doesn’t understand now isn’t it?’ But well, that’s how they learn isn’t it? If you repeatedly tell a child gai-gai while he/she is seated then they will think that ‘gai-gai’ means sitting down. So yes, it is quite a big deal.

You do not shower too much attention over a small fall. All kiddos fall as they grows up. It is almost mission impossible not to fall as they grow but of course, one does not purposely let a baby fall. You know that children craves for attention. You don’t tell a kid that the floor is naughty when they fall or repeatedly ask where they knock themselves at because they are going to say everywhere hurts because you kept asking them continuously. Imagine your child all grown up and blaming it on the floor at 10 years old. Instead of showering too much of the wrong attention, just let the child know that it is okay to fall. You know how some kids run towards their parents, slipped and fall, get back on their own feet and smile at their parents? That’s the kind of children I would like to nurture.

In life, we cannot determine when’s our next fall but at least we know that we can get right back up on our own feet without anyone’s help. Doesn’t need anyone to tell you things are okay because you are okay on your own. You will be independent. You will learn to be more careful. Yes, it is painful to fall but it is really no big deal.