FOR SEVERAL YEARS I have failed to understand why our parents and guardians keep comparing us to other children.
Growing up I began to understand the logic behind this.
Most parents and guardians think that by comparing, they are motivating.
Perhaps it work for some children, but the reality is, it does not motivate most of us at all.
Most parents like saying “other kids are passing while you are failing”.
The truth is we are not all the same!
School is not for everyone.
Not every child is meant to pass all the grades, get a university education and eventually start working.
Some children may not be bookworms, but they may be geniuses in technical fields.
This is what most parents fail to understand; they want their children to study what the children from house A are studying. They want us to do what they want to do, instead of letting us choose our own careers.
This is what leads to most children failing and ending up as dropouts.
Parents and guardians need to understand that comparing us to other children is so discouraging.
Imagine if we compared our parents to other parents.
Parents ought to be our guardians since they are older than us and obviously wiser than us, but that does not mean children do not have the right to decide and make their own decisions.
Sometimes parents’ decisions for their children are not as wise as they imagine.
It would be wiser if parents and guardians established a safe space in which their children could express what they are best at.
This platform may help some parents understand their children and motivate them better.
To all the children out there, I would like you all to know that you are capable of anything.
Never underestimate yourself, you are capable of doing the most impossible things in this world.
No matter what people think, if it makes you happy, go for it.
Stand up for yourself and do what is best for you.
Do not let anyone make you think of yourself as a loser.
Make wise decisions and prove them wrong.
Show them what you are capable of.
Rose-Mary Haufiku
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