Best teachers

‘Rohan, you must not to chew your nails. It’s a bad habit and will cause your stomach to bloat,’ Mom desperately tried to discipline her son. She had not anticipated his reaction when he spotted a heavily pregnant woman at a function.

‘Hey auntie, I know what you have been doing to get your tummy so fat!’ Mom pulled him away before the laughter of the crowd around them and the embarrassment of the woman could engulf them.

 Children are innocent and carefree. They are also open about things and free of guile. Like the little boy who had been warned by his father to tell debtors that his father had gone out. The boy innocently told the visitors “Dad has asked me to tell you that he is not at home and won’t be coming till a couple of days!” Little Tara got her mom into trouble when she was talking to her mother’s colleagues at a get-together. “Hi Tara, do you know where your mom works? What job she does?” asked one of them. Tara simply said “I don’t know aunty, but I do know she goes to work to sign in and out twice a day. She goes shopping or comes home to rest in between”. Tara’s mom was in a fix as though her escapades from office were known to some of her co-workers, the boss was unaware of it, and now his gleaming eyes and stern looks told her that she had lots to explain to him the next day.

A young boy was reprimanded by his father for not learning his lessons well. ‘Do you mean to say you do not know who Copernicus was? Shame on you, if only you had learnt you lessons well, you wouldn’t be in such ignorance.’ The boy asked his dad ‘Do you know Sharma uncle?” Dad flared up’ ‘No, who is he?’ Boy replied “If only you were at home often”. It was dad’s turn to accept that his ignorance was larger.

Little Bittoo was asked by a pompous aunt as to what gave him happiness and joy. She reeled off a list of expensive gadgets and toys which she purchased for her children and which , Bittoo’s parents could not afford. His answer stumped her, “To scratch whenever and wherever it itches!”
The story of a boy who taught his parents a lesson on how to treat elders is well known. He saw that his grand dad was treated shabbily and served food in an old bowl. Once, the parents decided to abandon the old man in a forest and the young boy carefully picked up the bowl. His reasoning was simple; he would need it to serve his parents when they turned old. This was an eye-opener to his parents and they vowed to take care of the father well. Children are good teachers and its upto people to learn to listen and understand their profound words.