Firstly, let’s have a look at this short yet powerful anecdote.

The date and time to unveil the invention of the light bulb were fixed. While the preparations for the event were on, Edison asked one of the lab assistants to carry the bulb from the lab on the first floor to the main hall on the ground floor.  On the staircase, the person tripped and fell and the grand invention was in pieces. All were shocked! The program had to be canceled.

Edison silently went into his laboratory and started making a new bulb for the launch, rescheduled for a week later. It was ready for the demonstration again. Edison called the same lab assistant to carry the bulb downstairs. His face lit up upon hearing Edison’s request. He confidently carried the bulb to the right place.

Edison’s friend asked him, “Why did you give the bulb to that same person who broke it earlier?”

Edison replied, “Last time when the bulb was broken, the person’s heart was also broken. It is not difficult to make another bulb. But to infuse fresh spirit into a broken heart is more difficult.”

We could draw a parallel between this anecdote and our own lives as parents!

Remember those times when our children were learning to walk? Did we give up on them, solely because they couldn’t get it right the first time? How about those times when we were ok with our child falling off the bike before they finally learned to cycle? Have we ever thought, what made us be with them through the learning process? It was the trust that we had in them and their ability to learn, which made all the difference.

Now, let’s answer these for ourselves. To what extent do we have trust in our children and their potential? Do we believe that they deserve a second chance when things don’t work out as desired?

Well, it’s simple! When we have trust in them, they have trust in themselves and thereby evolve into confident individuals. During this critical phase of their lives, they need us the most, not just as someone who can guide them, but as “someone” who has trust in them irrespective of how things turn out to be! Let’s be that “someone” for them!

Here’s a video which talks about how, we, as parents, can be a source of motivation for them, especially during exams.