Part 17 of 29 in Helping Your Children Learn: What Parents Need to Know← Part 16Part 18 →
I was in the midst of a particularly hectic day at the clinic last week when it struck me: the way we live our weeks is fundamentally flawed. It’s a sensation I’ve often felt, but this time it was more acute. We cram our days with tasks, responsibilities, and distractions, all in pursuit of efficiency, but seldom do we ask ourselves if this approach is sustainable or even desirable. As an IVF specialist and angel investor, I see this in my two worlds every day. Patients and founders alike, pushing themselves to the brink, chasing outcomes without pausing to consider the process itself.
It’s ironic, isn’t it? In our quest to make the most of our time, we often end up living lives that feel hollow and hurried. But what if we could design a week that we could actually live, one that doesn’t require us to become someone else entirely, just to survive it?
Let me take you through what I believe this week could look like. It’s a simple framework, one that doesn’t demand radical life changes but rather subtle shifts in how we engage with our daily routines. Consider it an experiment in living, not an overhaul.
Monday: Remove a Comparison
I’ve noticed that comparison is the thief of joy, especially when it comes to academic achievements. On Monday, I suggest you remove one standing comparison from your life. This might mean leaving a WhatsApp group that obsesses over children’s marks or muting it. Tell your child you’ve done this. You don’t need to announce a new philosophy as if it’s some grand performance. Just let your actions speak for themselves. In my experience, children notice these things more acutely than we give them credit for.
Tuesday: Shift the Inquiry
When your child comes home from school, resist the urge to ask about tests or grades. Instead, ask what they noticed today. If the answer is “nothing,” accept it and move on. In my practice, I’ve seen how interrogating curiosity can push it underground. A founder once told me something similar happens in startups: if every idea is scrutinized to death, creativity withers. Let’s apply that lesson to parenting.
Wednesday: Provide Resources, Not Instructions
Leave a material within your child’s reach without assigning a task to it. It could be a stack of paper, some tape, or a deck of cards. If your child asks what to do with it, say, “I don’t know. What do you feel like?” and then stop talking. Silence can be powerful. It allows space for imagination to take root. This approach is something I’ve explored in detail in my post “AI Tutors vs. My Kids’ Imagination: Who Really Wins?”.
Thursday: Embrace Doubt Together
When your child has a doubt, ask them what they’ve already tried. If you don’t know the answer, open eklavya.io together and search for it in their words. Address one doubt only, then close it. This mirrors how I often approach uncertain medical cases: one step at a time, one question at a time. It’s more valuable to teach your child how to find answers than to simply provide them.
Friday: Allow for Boredom
Protect a stretch of ninety minutes without tuition or homework improvement. Allow for boredom. It’s not your job to entertain, nor is it your job to fill every moment. Boredom can be the breeding ground for creativity. I’ve seen startups that were born out of a founder’s boredom with the status quo. There’s a lesson there for all of us.
Saturday: Engage in Real Tasks
Do a real task together that involves numbers or reading. It could be as simple as going to the market, tallying a bill, or following a recipe. Let your child handle the money or the list. Allow small mistakes to stand. This is akin to letting a young startup make its own mistakes rather than cushioning it from every failure. It’s through these small errors that learning truly happens.
Sunday: Read Aloud, No Strings Attached
Read aloud for twenty minutes, or have your child read to a younger sibling or grandparent. Don’t ask questions at the end; the story itself is the point. If an older child wants to take a mock test for an exam, let them, but resist the urge to turn it into a seminar on performance. I’ve always believed in the power of stories to teach without preaching—a concept I’ve elaborated on in “Trust Yourself: A Guide for Indian Parents”.
Repeat Before Adding
Before you consider adding anything new to this week, repeat it. Parents tend to overbuild, thinking more is better. However, children need the same plain conditions long enough to trust them. Much like in IVF treatments, where consistency and patience are key, the same applies to nurturing young minds.
So, which day of this week will you actually do? Pick one, not seven. It’s about small, intentional changes rather than sweeping transformations. Remember, a week you can live doesn’t demand a new personality; it just asks that you be present, engaged, and open to the small joys that come your way.
In crafting this week, I am reminded of the challenges I see my patients face, the struggles of the founders I back, and the hurdles within our education system that I hope to help reform. Whether in the clinic, the boardroom, or the classroom, the principles are the same: presence, patience, and purpose.
Now, as I sit here reflecting on this, I wonder what part of this week resonates most with you. For me, it’s the realization that life, much like investing or treating a patient, isn’t about the grand gestures but the everyday moments that make up the whole. Let’s choose to live those moments fully.