Our society rewards excellence and ignores the average. Kids, from a very young age, are taught to excel in things. If you like Maths, excel in it. If you like dancing, learn a style and excel in it. If you have a nice voice, practice singing till your throat hurts. Nobody is happy to see a kid who is average in studies and extra-curriculars. Everyone wants a star.
However, a woman named Sumathi took to Twitter to share a hard-hitting thread about being a mother to an “average child”. She says that her son is an average learner, average in studies, sports and other extra-curricular activities. There is nothing special about him, and that is OKAY.
Mother of an average child:
Yes, you read it right. I am the mother of an average child. By average, I simply mean my child is the average learner, average in scoring marks, average in sports and in extra curricular acivities. What's special about him then? 1/10
— Prof Sumathi (@ProfSumathi) January 29, 2023
NOTHING as per society and school norms. I often get asked, …. Your son must be good in maths and studies in general… I simply say no, he is not. He is average. Am I ashamed to say this? 2/10
— Prof Sumathi (@ProfSumathi) January 29, 2023
Whenever someone asks, she doesn’t lie that her child excels in a particular field. But she feels sorry that because her child is somewhere in the middle, not too good and not too bad, his identity gets somewhat lost.
No.. Should I be lying that he is the best in something which he is not, in front of others? Definitely no.
My son is that average child who people fail to notice either for not being at the top or being at the bottom. 3/10
— Prof Sumathi (@ProfSumathi) January 29, 2023
Just because he is “average”, people don’t notice his personality, kindness, humour and helpfulness.
People fail to notice his sweet smile ,funny talks, tight hugs, friendly personality, kind behaviour, mild manners, helpful nature because he is JUST an average child.
4/10— Prof Sumathi (@ProfSumathi) January 29, 2023
The school, society celebrates children who are top scorers or good in sports and extracurricular,which rightfully they should. Amidst all this, my average child who is a spectator and cheers his friends with full heart goes unnoticed. 5/10
— Prof Sumathi (@ProfSumathi) January 29, 2023
He doesn’t play sports or love music to excel in it or compete. He just loves it.
His love for sports,( even when he knows he is not going to be selected for school team), his love for music(even though he knows he is not going to be selected for school choir) never diminishes. He does all this to enjoy it rather to compete. 6/10
— Prof Sumathi (@ProfSumathi) January 29, 2023
Sumathi has been strict with him and lost her cool many times but one day her son asked her, “Do you respect me?”
We often fail to realise that kids also need to be treated with respect, don’t we?
Am I a mother who is not strict with him for not scoring at the top. Yes, I am strict to an extent and have lost my cool many times in the past. His words pierced through me when my 11 year old asked, “mom, do you not respect me”?
7/10— Prof Sumathi (@ProfSumathi) January 29, 2023
How many of us thought we should respect children? We adults demand our respect each and every moment of our life. Why not a child?
Among children preparing for IIT, MBBS even at a tender age of 10 years.
8/10— Prof Sumathi (@ProfSumathi) January 29, 2023
So she urges people to notice the average kids and not just dismiss them. All they want is to be treated with kindness and get the assurance that things will eventually work out for them.
Last but not least:
Notice the average child. All that child wants is a smile or a kind word from us adults for just being himself to give him assurance to trust the worldEach child is different, so is each parenting Style 🙏
10/10— Prof Sumathi (@ProfSumathi) January 29, 2023
Do you agree with her?