The last year in kindergarten

On By MeghaIn School Diary

Taking stock of the entire academic year gone by sounds like a tough task but doing so before Pari starts her next session is all the more important. No matter how faded my memory of the events of past year might be, it is definitely vivid when compared to, say ten or perhaps five years from today. This is what makes this school diary entry, all the more important.

last year of kindergarten

Pari’s last year in kindergarten started with the relief that the series of awkward encounters that were the highlight of our past year were done with.

The much-awaited summer vacations (of 2016) gifted me an important parenting lesson. My dance lover 4-year-old might be the best dancer when she follows her heart, yet, she was still too young for formal training in classical dance. I  accepted this fact, only after I met Guruji , who conducts Kathak classes in our area. I understood that often passion alone isn’t enough to give birth to a star performer. Age and maturity play a vital role, in helping nurture the talent, giving it the wings it needs to scale unseen heights.

I spent the whole year counting days to the summer vacation of 2017 to get Pari to join the dance class we visited last year. However, recently, something has changed. Pari has suddenly lost all mojo to learn to dance. While she still loves dancing, she is keener about drawing and painting. This has left me clueless about what we will be doing these summer holidays that are hardly a month away.

This confusion stems from the fact that I want my daughter to follow her heart. I really do. But at the back of my mind, I can hear voices of my parents, that say, I need to be the guiding force for my child. I must encourage her to pursue formal training in the field she has both interest and talent, to become someone noteworthy at a later date.

The quandary has its roots in my childhood when I too was often reluctant to join a new class solely for the fear of the unknown. But the day I’d start the class, motivated by my parents (mainly mom) I’d be acquired by the joy of learning something new and making new friends.

What if that is exactly the case with my daughter?

What if I’m putting at stake the future of a star, just cause she is too young to know if she really wants to learn the nuts and bolts of dancing?

I’m perplexed.

Anyway, I digress.

When Pari had participated in the Janamashtmi celebrations at her school, her dance teacher had given her the center position because she (apparently) was the best dancer in the group. Her performance was appreciated by one and all, from her friends to the helpers in the school and of course the teachers. But, when the prize for the best dancer went to the headmistress’ child, I saw Pari learn what privilege meant in a way I couldn’t have taught her better at her age.

It took me a while to help Pari see, that these small privileges are mere sparks, that might be the highlight of a day, but can never illuminate the way to a successful future. Only hard work and dedication can.

This incident has changed my child considerably. I noticed this during preparation for the annual sports event. Pari was last in the past year’s race. This year I could see her determined like a mountain goat intent to learn to climb the steep mountain. She might not be the fittest scholar in her class, but in those 2-3 weeks, I saw a fierce competitive streak in her that I never knew existed.

Suddenly her usual fuss over eating was gone. She’d wake half an hour early than her usual time only to practice running. All she cared for was beating her last year’s record and winning the gold medal. Her labor bore fruit. This year, she ran like Bolt and won by a big margin.

Standing on the podium in front of a cheering crowd has only fanned Pari’s burning desire to outdo her every performance. I can often hear her mutter that she wants to outdo herself, her every performance, day by day.

Her unflinching resolve came in handy when she fell seriously ill with the gastrointestinal infection hardly days before her annual exams.

Needless to say, I was the only worry-wart in our home. My parents were solely focussed on Pari’s health while I couldn’t help but worry if my child’s hard work of the past many months was about to go in vain.

Whereas Pari was her usual calm, composed self. Her only point of concern was the bitter cocktail of medicines she was being forced to swallow every few hours. The day she got better, despite the weakness, she was studying, revising and was her usual confident self.

Her academic result has proved yet again, that my daughter hasn’t inherited my quibble gene. This is among the handful traits that I am grateful for not handing down to my child.

They say, “Becoming a parent, changes everything.” It does. Not just when the child is born, but several times in life as we relearn the life-lessons with a changed perspective, in the light of our children’s view of life.

A new chapter, a new session of learning and growing begins in a week’s time and us, the stationery lover, mother-child duo, can’t wait to embark on the favorite part of the school year. Shopping for new books and stationery and scribbling in the best handwriting in freshly covered books and notebooks.

20 thoughts on “The last year in kindergarten”

  1. What a lovely journal entry, you always write with your heart on your sleeve allowing your words to tread lightly and stay in our hearts. You have such a gem in this lovely girl, nurtured by your heart and soul, she seems to be growing strong and steady under much love’s sunlight. The thought of starting a new school year with her gives me goosebumps too, smell of new books, shiny new stationery and the anticipation is very heady indeed. All I feel from your words here.

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    1. I feel blessed to have you in my life, Singledust ❤
      Love you for seeing what I hesitated in sharing and for highlighting only that sings of the joys and goodness.
      {HUgs}

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  3. Such a moving piece with so much you’ve captured in a single diary entry. Pari is a lovely child,blessed by the fact that she has a mother who cares. I get what you mean about that parenting guilt-recall my last post? It strikes even more as the kid grows up.

    Pari seems set on the right path- learning through disappointment, giving it her best, striving through sheer effort and hard work- these are the lessons that will hold her in good stead for a long, long time to come. Other things will be sorted soon. As for Gy, she sounds like you: Reluctant to try things unless gently coaxed and then falling in love with the activity through sheer practice. The coach/teacher matters, of course. Wishing you and Pari a lovely vacation.

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    1. Totally agree that a lot depends on the teacher and also how prepared the child is to learn new ways of the art/ sport. The confusion that springs from the umpteen choices we parents have to make, is often the cause of our stress, even when the problem isn’t all that complicated.
      That’s why I have made up my mind, to go wth the flow and be guided by my child’s performance than being scared of taking the plunge.

      Thank you for the warm wishes, Shailaja. A very happy summer vacation to you & Gy too ❤

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  4. Completion of kindergarten looks like a milestone at this time and so much the kids grow and teach us in this short time. Although so tiny they are individuals with those memories hearts and brains very strongly placed. Hope Pari learns the best of lifes lessons and you help each other grow as wonderful human beings.

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    1. Well said, Uma. These milestones of early life look larger now than they will in hindsight, this is why I’m recording their minute details to celebrate these moments later when Pari and I can read these posts together.
      Thank you so much for those beautiful wishes 🙂

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  5. You are amazing as a mom and your daughter is a champ in every sense of the word. It is natural to worry. Hugs! I wish your daughter all the best–she seems to be on the right track! Enjoy the little moments. Your post is so beautiful! I understand how it must have felt to see the best dancer prize go to the principal’s child…and it hurts. It also teaches.

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    1. The best lessons in life are learnt with pain and loss, something similar has been the case with Pari, especially cause she loves to dance so much.
      Thank you so much, Vidya, for the beautiful wishes, they mean a lot ❤
      {Hugs}

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  6. Shilpa Garg

    Congratulations to Pari and to you too for this milestone achievement. Wishing you the very best as she moves to the next level. Am sure with her persistence and your guidance, she will do well in all her endeavors!
    While, it’s the best to let the child follow her passion, I believe, as parents we need to give them opportunities to explore all possible avenues of learning and sometimes we need to push them and direct them even when they seem to lose interest in something.

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  7. vinodinii

    “Becoming a parent, changes everything.” Couldn’t agree more. We learn some vital life lessons while we teach our kids the same. Sometimes, I wonder if it is us teaching the children or they teaching us. It is such a give and take, really.

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  8. You moved me, ME! I was so happy to read Pari’s determination and how she won the marathon! Just wow! I was a good dancer in my childhood. I wasn’t too keen on taking formal training nut my parents wanted me to. And I can’t thank them enough. Those are some best memories I’ve from then. I think you should send her dance lessons. She will love it after some time. 🙂

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  11. Very well written and from the heart post. Hugs and good wishes to both of you. I have just started reading you blog and am already in love with the rekindled romance with reading blogs.

    How i wish i could write half as beautiful as you…:)

    Keep up the great work rock star..

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