“look papa,no hands”

“woohoo i did it dad”

“look ,look….it works now”

one of the most heart warming moments as a parent are moments like these,where my child achieved something that i thought they were not capable of.

as throbbing beings,we are naturally wired to be curious,to seek our limits and push them

and when we go past our limits we also naturally crave artefacts that reflect an appreciation of our feats.

is it praise that our children seek ? or recognition ?

praise,from my viewpoint,is vindication. Is confirmation of the stupendity of their efforts .

“way to go Etaash!!!! ”

“well done Ajooni,keep it up ☺ ”

i suspect that this is something that they are smart enough to know . it aint trivial Dad. i know i am good papa,huff.

what i feel really spurs children on is ,recognition .

recognition of the odds that they beat,the problem solving process that they applied,their collaboration with their siblings to achieve a common goal,a new personal precedent that they set

“wow Ajooni how did you do it !?”

“that is perfect balance dear Etaash,i can never do it myself”

“i have never seen that before,teach me how you fixed it! pleeeeaseeee!”

Praise is fleeting.

Timely,authentic and frequent recognition lasts.It leads to more,something new.

With kids and at our workplace.