5 Inspirational Life Lessons My Child Taught Me In The Pandemic

My Dearest baby girl,

We are living in ‘strange times.’ You have lost the freedom to do ‘normal’ things like go to school, park and hug whomever you want. And as the days go on, I see you grow and smile, and I smile back. But, under that smile of mine there is self-doubt – am I ruining your future? Experts say that 0-6 years are the most developmental years for a child’s life. You are seeing the same things every day and meeting a handful of people. You aren’t interacting with a group of children your age, which means you aren’t falling sick and building your immunity. So, as I grapple with guilt, I can’t help but ask myself, am I teaching you enough? And while I can teach you about the different animals, colors, cities, etc. I actually want to teach you five important life lessons that you have taught me.

Less is more

You are so happy with whatever you have. You have adapted quickly to being at home all the time, and have found creative ways to keep yourself busy. It’s been such a humbling experience for me, to watch you make the best of the situation.

Life Lesson 1: When times are tough, remember, you don’t need material things to keep yourself happy. Let your imagination run wild.

Live in the present

I never see you ‘overthink’. If you want something you do it. There isn’t an inch of self-doubt. And because you are in the NOW, you are curious about everything – you look under every nook and cranny, you like to taste, touch and smell even the weirdest of things. Often, I find myself worrying about the future or living in regrets of the past. But being able to spend quality time with you, observing you, laughing with you has brought me back to the present.

Life Lesson 2: Remember to be connected to the now, don’t live in your head with thoughts of the past or the future. Enjoy the now.

Ride the wave of emotions

Sometimes you laugh, sometimes you cry. Sometimes you see Mama relaxed and sometimes you see Mama stressed. By trying to teach you to recognize and connect with your feelings, I have learned to recognize my own.

Life Lesson 3: Remember to always be in tune with your feelings, there is nothing wrong with being sad, stressed, happy, ecstatic, etc. Take a second to recognize what it is you are feeling, and don’t be in a hurry to get rid of negative feelings.

Eat nutritiously

You love eating your vegetables, fruits, dry fruits, and rice. You always surprise me with your love for vegetables. There is never any overeating because your body tells you when you are done. Since we eat some of our meals together, you have reminded us to eat balanced meals.

Life Lesson 4: Remember, life is about balance. Getting all the right nutrients will help you with your immunity, sleep and overall health. But also indulge once in a while.

Follow your intuition

I read somewhere, that as children you freely connect to your intuition naturally. There are so many behaviors I see you do instinctively and even though I am unsure of whether it’s instinct or intuitive, being a parent has reminded me to be more in tune with my intuition. Most of the time, I know exactly what you need and how you are feeling.

Life Lesson 5: The older you get, the easier it is to not listen to your gut. Sometimes it’s confusing because you wonder whether it is intuition or fear guiding you. In those times a great tool is to meditate, quiet your mind, and just listen to your heart. Your inner light will guide you.

Love,

Mama

Written By: Jaini Mehta

BSc Medical Sciences