'Less is more' parenting

Peeling the skin of boiled drumsticks, my daughter was ogling the antics of the lion cubs on Discovery channel. In a mesmerizing up-close encounter, dozens of lions circled a buffalo. After seeing their initial show of dominance, instead of being terrified, my daughter chewed her drumsticks like they were popcorns. Still ripping off the tidbits of flesh that cling to the edges of the drumstick, she witnessed the lioness approach their prey stealthily before springing upon them and killing them with a strong bite to the neck. Then her mouth dropped open in confused shock.

Perhaps, I should have turned the TV off. But, I didn’t. That’s nature I thought. Isn’t everyone fighting their own battle? And are hunting to eat, to survive?  There is no doubt that she is born in the family where her parents are providing for her, without enduring the pain of battle-scarred warriors. Her snack bowls are always filled with rich vitamins, nutrients (i.e. if we tend to ignore the disturbing nutritional trend).  And fortunately, I had to never nag my daughter to choose healthy foods.

But when I look at my cook, who I feel is actually enduring the pain of a battle-scarred warrior to earn a square meal. I wonder, forget about rich, does she even care about vitamins? And then I observe her two-year-old who stood by her side, clutching an end of the mother’s dupatta. There is no such thing as poor eating habits in their world. Whenever I have offered fruits or even a piece of a cake to this child, I realize she is yet to master tantrum throwing. Even dolling out bribes to make her eat was not required.

Isn’t it true that many of today’s behavioural issues in children come from having too many options? Living amidst a barrage of mental, physical and digital clutter, how can we help navigate a world of too much stuff and too many choices?

As parents we believe that the more we do for our child, the better parent we are. In reality, less can be more. Set the stage and step back.