A laugh, a squeal—kids bring joy and fun into the world. Yet, they are often categorized as "too young to make decisions" and are left to live in their parents' shadows. Over time, this can lead to increasing anxiety and stress, making them believe they should follow others instead of becoming leaders.
As children grow older, they might become quieter, and the creative thoughts they once had in their minds start to fade. Adults don’t see this. What they see is, "That person is so stupid!" or "You should be more like this kid," without realizing how much it hurts.
I am a kid. I am being underestimated all the time. I am good at math, but nobody ever encouraged me. Instead, they compared me to someone who was better than me. When they yelled, I yelled back. But they never stopped to think about why I did that. I yell back because I think their rules are unfair. Although that might be seen as being naughty, following rules that you believe are wrong won’t help you grow or think better.
Most people have heard the phrase, "You’ll thank me later," but will we really? Most of the time, yes—but not always.
But often, a person’s limits push them to find their true potential, and for many, these limits are felt most during childhood. Just like other kids, Malala Yousafzai was limited by restrictions on women's rights. The next moment, she became an activist, speaking out for the rights of girls everywhere.
Limits can be a good thing because they push people to work harder and discover their true potential. However, most parents focus on their child’s limits and criticize them instead of encouraging them.
If children are constantly reminded of what they lack—like reading skills—they may never embrace their true capabilities or discover their real desires. Instead of criticizing their weaknesses, we should encourage them. Rather than only praising a child for getting a High Distinction, we should value their unique strengths.
We need kids with different talents, like gaming and astronomy, not just skills from the basic school curriculum. If we only encourage children to be good at what their parents were good at, eventually everyone would be the same. This would lead to a lack of creativity and new ideas to improve life.
People are all different. Instead of treating them like puppets, we should help them understand their weaknesses but encourage them to follow their strengths. Then, they can carry these into adulthood. As history shows us, people who succeed often follow their own path.
Instead of pushing children into one narrow path, let them become who they want to be (as long as it’s a good choice) by guiding and encouraging them. After all, they are the ones who will shape the future—perhaps even preventing disasters like rising sea levels and climate change.
The world is changing drastically, and sadly, many adults won’t be around when more bushfires and disasters happen. People are not immortal, so we must guide children while we can.
Just remember one thing: Gen Z and Gen Alpha are the ones who will change the world someday.
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