Everyone Judged His Marks. Today, He's Joining IIT 🥇

I still remember the day Sanju (My nephew) was born. The moment I held that tiny little cutie in my arms, the world stopped for a second. People often ask, "How did you feel when you held a newborn baby for the first time?" Even today, I struggle to find the right words. ❤️ Maybe every parent understands this.😊

You look at that tiny face and silently promise: "You angel, We will do everything we can for you."

Years passed faster than I expected.

The little boy who once held my finger while walking is now joining IIT. (No not the I’m In Trouble 😄, the real IIT)

And as I look back on his journey, I realize something important. His success is not just about marks, ranks, or achievements.

It is about positive parenting, trust, support, and giving a child the freedom to become who they are meant to be. 

Children Are Not Projects. They Are Kites. 🪁 Hold the string with love, but give them enough sky to fly.

Many parents unknowingly make one mistake. We try to create the child we want.

Why do we expect every child to excel in academics? Why do we assume engineering, medicine, or corporate jobs are the only paths to success?

Every child is different. 

Some children shine in studies. Some shine in sports.

Some shine in music. Some shine in art.

Some shine in acting. And some surprise us with talents we never imagined.

One of the biggest lessons I learned as a parent is this: "A child grows best when they are allowed to grow in their own direction."

If a child loves studies and enjoys spending hours with books, wonderful. Encourage them.

But if a child is naturally good at sports, don't force them to treat sports as a reward after studies. Let them explore what they genuinely love. The same applies to acting, music, art, dance, or any other talent.

Our job as parents is not to decide what our children should become. Our job is to help them discover who they are.

When this boy wanted to play sports, and participate in competitions, his parents made a bold decision. They chose a school that genuinely valued sports and gave children opportunities to grow beyond academics.

It was during his 10th grade. When the results came out, many people mocked him because his marks weren't what they expected. But for me, he had already won something far more valuable. He had spent his childhood doing what he truly loved, exploring his interests, playing sports, and learning lessons that no textbook could ever teach. Those experiences shaped his character, built his confidence, and taught him how to face life with courage.

Looking back, it was one of the best decisions they made. What amazed me most was that he never followed the crowd. He always chose something unique.

One day, he became interested in Rubik's Cubes. Until then, I didn't even know there were competitions for solving Rubik's Cubes! He was solving different cubes in what felt like seconds.

Then he explored other sports, I don't know the name, its something like Gatta Kusthi, and once again he surprised everyone with how quickly he learned and excelled.

Watching him taught me something important.

Children are naturally talented. Sometimes they discover talents that even parents never knew existed.

The environment around them can either help those talents grow or slowly suppress them.

If the environment helps them grow, let's stand back, clap our hands, and feel proud.

If they face setbacks, disappointments, or even toxic situations, let them learn from those experiences. It's okay. They are learning. Life has its own way of teaching lessons that no classroom ever can.

As parents, We simply need to stand beside them.

One of the biggest examples of this came after he secured admission to VIT, which is a highly respected institution and a dream for many students.

Most people would have happily accepted the seat and moved on. But he wasn't satisfied.

He said, "I want to take a break and try once more."

That wasn't an easy decision.

It involved uncertainty, risk, and plenty of questions.

What if it didn't work?

What if he lost a year?

What if things didn't go according to plan?

Yet his parents chose to support him.

Today, he has achieved the goal he was chasing.

But here's the question other's might have:

What if he hadn't? Would that have made him a failure?  Absolutely not.

He would still have learned something valuable. He would still have grown. He would still have found another path. 

Sometimes children understand their own dreams better than we do.

They know what excites them. They know what they want to explore. They know what kind of life they want to build.

Sometimes the greatest gift we can give our children is trust.

Support them. Guide them. Encourage them.

And when the time comes, have the courage to let them chase their own dreams.

So today, spend a little extra time with your child.

Listen to them.

Encourage them.

Believe in them.

Because sometimes the greatest thing a parent can say is:

"I trust you. Go chase your dreams."

Grade 1 or IIT? Every Parenting Survival Story

June has been a month full of pressure.

Pressure not because of my office work. Pressure because my son is in Grade 1 👊

Before you judge me as the parent who sits behind a child with a pile of books and forces him to study every evening, let me clarify something.

I consciously decided years ago that I would never turn my home into a second classroom.

My belief was simple.Until at least Grade 5, children should be children.

They should play outside. They should get dirty and make home dirty. They should climb walls, chase dogs and cats, ask silly questions and create memories that will stay with them forever. 

Whatever they learn in school should be enough.

That was my philosophy.

But, It's just a month since the school reopened, yet somehow my son has already completed his Unit 1 Formative Assessments in every subject. I am still trying to figure out which notebook belongs to which subject, and now Unit 2 assessments for all subjects are starting this week.

Suddenly, I find myself feeling pressured as a parent.

When I open a Maths chapter, it is no longer just a simple lesson on addition or a single concept. Every topic comes with multiple types of questions, and each question has several variations that require practice.

Then comes homework. Then comes revision. Then comes preparation for the next assessment.

Then comes another set of activities.

In between, every week introduces a new concept activity, project, or assignment that needs attention.

And somewhere in all of this, there is a six-year-old child who still wants to play.

As parents, we focus so much on helping our children succeed academically. But are we giving the same attention to protecting their mental and emotional well-being?

I am not blaming the curriculum, the teachers, or the school structure.

But I do wonder: When did we stop asking children, "Did you have fun today?" and start asking, "What homework do you have today?"

Study. Study. Study.

Again, I am not writing this to criticize schools.

Perhaps I feel this pressure more because I consciously chose not to turn my home into a classroom. I wanted my son to play freely every day, explore the world around him, and learn naturally without spending hours studying at home.

Now, I find myself questioning that decision.

Am I doing enough?

Should I be teaching more at home?

Or should childhood still be allowed to remain childhood?

I am writing this because I know thousands of parents feel exactly the same way. They want their children to succeed, but they also want them to be happy. 

They sit beside their children every evening, helping with homework and revision. And if you are a working parent? Well, congratulations! The moment you walk through the door, you are greeted with, "You don't spend enough time teaching your child!" Instant guilt delivered free of cost. 😄

June taught me something important.

The pressure is real. The overwhelm is real.

And as parents, we know we cannot simply ignore studies. We want our children to learn, grow, and build a strong foundation for the future.

And if you are a parent like me, someone who has consciously decided not to turn evening into a second classroom, I know it can feel uncomfortable.

There is always that little voice asking, "Am I doing right?"

Should I make him revise more?

Should I make him practice another worksheet?

Should I be spending more time teaching?

But I made a choice.

I chose to protect my child's evenings.

I chose outdoor play over extra worksheets.

I chose conversations, cycling, running around, and simply being a child.

And honestly, I believe it is one of the boldest decisions a parent can make today.

Not because studies are unimportant. They absolutely matter.

But because childhood matters too.

When I see my son come home excited to play, when I watch him laugh outdoors, when I see him discover the world beyond textbooks, I am reminded that these moments are also a form of learning.

The pressure to do more will always be there.

Another worksheet will always be waiting.

Another assessment will always be around the corner.

But childhood will not wait.

A happy child learns better than a pressured child.

So if you have chosen to let your child play a little longer, explore a little more, and simply enjoy being a child, don't feel guilty.

You are not doing right thing

You are making a choice.

And perhaps, in a world that is constantly asking children to grow up faster, that choice is more valuable than we realize.

Parenting | Child Education | Academic Pressure | Grade 1 Learning | School Stress | Modern Parenting