Are you wondering if your kid’s passion could become their profession? Has this wonder turned into a botheration? If yes, give this article a read.
Challenge #6: Academics Versus Passion: What Should Your Kid Choose?
Tip #1:
If your daughter likes to dance, you must explore the opportunities of growth in this profession and how well she can place herself in the industry in such a way that she earns money and a good name for the family.
Many mothers would agree with what Aarna’s mom thinks. It is essential after a certain age for kids to become financially independent, and before you or your husband hit the retirement age.
For your part, it is wise to make sure your kid has an in-depth understanding of all subjects, including their field of interest. But when your kid turns into a young adult, you must leave the decision of what they want to become up to them—a dancer, writer, or singer—rather than pressurize them to take up a job that you want them to because it pays extremely well.
You’ve got to understand that a successful child isn’t necessarily one who has high qualifications and lots of comfort. The best yardstick to measure a person’s success is her/his happiness. Ask your kid when s/he turns into a young adult if they’ll be happy in doing what they most want or what you want them to do. You’ll get your answer. But, at this young age, it will be wise to teach them everything while teaching them to take responsibilities for oneself and the society. Remember, if your kid is happy, they will keep you happy.
How Meditation Helps?
TIP#2:
You and your child can arrive at a consensus wherein s/he is allowed to follow her/his passion as long as s/he finds work that pays enough to sustain. Passion might not pay well, but will definitely keep your child happy. It is wise to not ask your kid to rubbish his passion altogether. To give your kid a healthy mind and body for excelling in whatever he does, you may give him Medhya Rasayan, an Ayurvedic syrup that sharpens memory and ensures sound sleep. It doesn’t have any side-effects either.
It is interesting to understand how meditation can open your mind to look at things from a newer perspective. When you meditate, your mind calms down. Because you are calm, you start accepting yourself, and that gives you the strength to accept others exactly as they are. And this includes your kid too. You’ll gradually start understanding that you cannot control everything. Can you? If you thrust your views on your kid, it might make them unhappy and stressed out. Give them a chance to explore newer avenues of earning money. It is good if they are satisfied with the amount of money they earn and are able to take care of their needs. As adults, we know money has value—no one on this Earth could throw a rupee into the bin. But we also know that happiness is priceless. There are some things money can’t buy. Who knows...they might hit the jackpot while chasing their passion!
To Moms, With Love…
Bringing to you celebrated moments of motherhood that a mom would love to share…
Catherine was shocked and angry. She waited anxiously for her husband to arrive. The moment the car honked, Catherine opened the door and rushed towards the patio. Her husband Victor walked past the guard briskly to join his wife.
“Now tell me, Catherine, what happened?”, hissed Victor, as if controlling his anger.
“Our son Charles has flunked his math exam” said Catherine.
“But we can always help him. This is just an indication that he needs some extra help. That’s all! Don’t press the panic button so early. He is still very young. Give him some time”, advised Victor
“No, this is not so simple. Look here at the answer sheet. Now turn it to see what your son has written. A story! He didn’t even bother to attempt the sums. He was busy with his passion for writing even during the math exam. Can you believe his nerve!? Pick up his science book and you will see some more of his mischief. Catherine read from the science book, "The tape worm likes to play with the sluggish snail. The snail questions the tape worm, 'Are you the cobra’s miniature?', and the tape worm replies, 'Oh, no, no! I am far deadlier.' And then he gives a deadly laugh.” Catherine burst into tears as she flung everything towards the door.
Victor rubbed his brow. This was serious. Charles was passionate about writing stories, but then Catherine was also right. Such professions do not work well for everybody. She wanted to nip Charles's passion in the bud, but Victor had stopped her earlier. However, academics couldn’t be ignored.
“Give me a few hours, Catherine. I'll surely give you a solution. Let me talk to Charles for a while. Send him to my study.” said Victor.
Once in the study, Charles and Victor faced each other. Charles looked unaffected. Victor asked him patiently, “What’s the matter, son?”
“Nothing, Dad. Believe me, I don’t want to hurt anyone. I don’t do things intentionally; characters take birth in my head every second and stories pour out. I can’t stop myself, and why should I? I write well and I can make people laugh. I am curbed in the house with Mumma keeping a watch over me all the time to make sure I don’t write. How long can she restrict me? My mind is like a spy. It wanders off to talk to the characters. I go to school just to pen down whatever is bottled up inside. That’s all. It’s like an addiction. I’m sorry, but I have to be honest”, said Charles.
Victor was shocked at his son’s straight reply. It was convincing and genuine. After a pause, he asked, “Look, son, life is a difficult game. Your mother and I want the best for you. Academics gets us somewhere for sure, but passions such as these may leave you disillusioned. I liked the tape worm and the sluggish snail. Can we adopt the middle path here, wherein you write at home every day, but you study at school?”
“Oh! Yes! A little time is all I need. Please, I’m not a rebel, but my passion carries me to the land of my dreams. I love you Dad, and I love Mom too. Just tell her to understand me please”, pleaded Charles.
Victor just hugged him and held him as if he was cradling his son’s dreams. He realized that his passion was clear and genuine. He explained the entire matter to Catherine very practically and she conceded that curbing Charles will only make the situation worse. Catherine had to give in and let her son enjoy writing. Victor assured her that Charles would keep his promise of focusing on study at school.
From moms to super moms, your journey begins with meditation. Take to a Sahaj Samadhi Meditation course and be the mom you’ve always aspired to be.
With this article, we come to the end of our series. We received an overwhelming response from you, our readers. We wish to keep writing such series in the future. Let us know if you’d want us to write a series on a topic close to your heart.
Do you have an experience of adventure, wit, and inspiration to share? We'd love to hear your side of the story and share it with our readers.
Do you have an experience of adventure, wit, and inspiration to share? We'd love to hear your side of the story and share it with our readers. Write to us at webteam.meditation@artofliving.org.
Related Articles
A Mother's Guide to Raising Fine Pre-teens: How do I deal with my kid’s endless list of questions?
A Mother's Guide to Raising Fine Pre-teens: Dealing with naughtly kids
A Mother's Guide to Raising Fine Pre-teens: Dealing with television-friendly kids
A Mother's Guide to Raising Fine Pre-teens: Nurturing Friendliness
A Mother's Guide to Raising Fine Pre-teens: Dealing with your kid’s obesity