Slowly But Surely

Author Roopal Kewalya writes about how allowing kids to follow their own pace helps in developing a healthy sense of self.

- Roopal Kewalya

“MOM, can I make fire?” When my 4-year-old asked me this for the first time, I answered, “No. For one, you may burn yourself. Two, I don’t have time for this because we are late for school. And three, you would have to be born in the Stone Age to do this.”

This is an argument I have with my son every morning. Like most children, he wants to do everything himself. While I delight in the thought that someday he would cook his own breakfast, and maybe even mine, at this point, his need to take control over everything in his life exasperates me no end.

Don’t get me wrong —I understand that all kids want is to grow up. And like most children, my son too marches to his own beat. The only time I say no to him is when it concerns his or someone else’s safety. And despite that, ‘No’ is still the word I use most.