**Celebrating failures of kids**

Do you celebrate the failure of your kid? I know the question is a little weird, but yesterday I did celebrate my son's failure. Last week, his class teacher informed me about the fancy dress competition happening in school wherein along with wearing theme based costumes, kids are supposed to speak a few lines on the stage. I agreed as my boy is such a flamboyant soul, and very expressive in nature. Vibhu hardly gets any stranger anxiety and he speaks with new people without being coy. I thought it would be easy.

However, the theme of competition was sort of heavy for a 5-year-old mind, "Global Warming". Now, the challenge for me was to make my tot understand this term. First I explained him in easy to grasp narration. Then I also searched YouTube to find any age appropriate video around​ global warming. YouTube is a better teacher these days for kids, you know (Although I hate how YouTube lures kids for watching non sense stuff also). I found an animated film of 2 minutes that explains global warming in a way that a young kid can understand. However, it doesn't have a voice. Vibhu understood global warming on a high level but he was to speak something around it.

Finally, I decided that he would recite a poem of 5-6 lines around conservation of greenery. And I somehow stuffed 2 lines with the term Global Warming in the same poem. I made Vibhu cram the poem. With on and off difficulty, he was reciting it okay. I also prepared his costume and decided to make him a tree. Everything got done before the rehearsal day when we were supposed to submit the costume to the class teacher.

Unfortunately Vibhu couldn't recite the poem in the class during the rehearsal. But as the class teacher knows about Vibhu's spirit and nature, she gave him another chance. Next day was a happy day. Vibhu performed so well in rehearsal. The teacher very happily informed my husband that he did so well and is the only kid speaking the poem in Hindi (Although initial introduction was in English). My husband and I were so happy that our boy did well and was likely to did well in finals too.

Next two days I kept Vibhu practice his lines every now and then. 50% of times​, he changed his actions, or forgot his lines. However, for rest 50% times he performed exceptionally well. Finally, the day of fancy dress competition came. I got Vibhu ready in the morning and made sure to listen to his lines​ one final time. He did good that moment also.

I was restless in my office thinking how Vibhu would have performed. But somewhere I was confident about his morning practice. When my husband picked him in the evening from the school and reached home, my first question to him was "how was Vibhu in competition?". My husband remained silent whereas Vibhu was babbling like everyday. His routine is to tell me about everything happened in school. But he didn't tell anything around his performance. Then my husband told me that Vibhu couldn't go beyond "Hello Friends". He didn't speak anything further on stage. I was heart broken. How Vibhu couldn't​ speak!!

With listening his other talks, I tried to inquire why he didn't speak on the stage. He said he forgot his lines. Then, as I went on asking how, he said you didn't help me prepare well that's why I forgot. Now I was mad. I did all I could have done to make him prepare well for the competition. And he made me responsible for his void action on the stage. On one side he was all okay, I on the other side was sad, why he didn't speak despite all the practice.

For next 3-4 hours, I was out of sorts. Vibhu had no regret though. Then he suddenly came to me and recited his poem with proper introduction, the way I made him prepare. After finishing his lines he said "ab mujhe yaad aa gya, tab nhi aa raha tha.." (now I could recall my lines, but that time I didn't).

I realized my mistake that I made with expecting a 5 years old behave like a grown up kid. As a budding child, he is still to understand the real meaning of competition. He is still a free soul who does most of the things on his own will. How can he be perfect all the time!

On the stage he couldn't speak but since​ then he is repeatedly singing his poem. He even remembers lines of others kids who also performed. I can't say that he is forgetful as he forgot his own lines. In fact, he is a sharp minded child who picked up the lines of other kids just listening once.

Hence I decided to celebrate his failure. We went for an ice cream treat. I cooked his favorite kadi rice and l let him watch YouTube for sometime. This is celebration of his type. We have decided to prepare well for coming story telling competition. I am trying to make him understand the importance of stage and mic skills. I am hopeful again that next time he will do well. Yesterday was just not a favorable day!!

#vibhuandmesay #bbcreatorsclub #kidsactivity #motherhooduntold
#vibhuandmesay #bbcreatorsclub #kidsactivity #motherhooduntold