When a Child Enters Your World, It’s Time to Learn, Not Teach

When a child enters your world, it’s not just the beginning of their journey - it’s the start of a profound learning experience for you as well. This sentiment, beautifully expressed by Sadhguru, reminds us that parenting is not solely about guiding and teaching; it's equally about learning, growing, and evolving alongside our children.

I used to think that being a parent is about imparting knowledge. A one-way road where I hold my children by their hands and guide them towards a chosen destination that I think is best (controlling along the way). I slowly understood that this relationship isn’t a straight-line, one-way road; it's a space, an invitation to open our hearts and minds to the wisdom that our children inherently possess.

In the hustle of daily life, we often fall into the trap of believing that our role is to instruct our children, shaping them into who we think they should be. However, the truth is that when a child enters our world, they bring with them a unique perspective and a profound understanding of life that can teach us so much more than we could ever impart. Our children hold wisdom within them that is invaluable.

How you can embrace this learning mindset and cultivate a deeper connection with your children:

Shifting Perspectives: From Teacher to Student

As parents, we often feel a sense of responsibility to shape our children, to impart wisdom, and to teach them the ways of the world. We want to prepare them for life's challenges and ensure they grow up to be capable, well-rounded individuals. But in our eagerness to teach, we can sometimes forget that our children are not blank slates waiting to be filled with our knowledge. They come into this world with their own unique perspectives, ideas, and personalities - things that we, as parents, can learn from.

Children have an incredible capacity to see the world with fresh eyes. Their curiosity, imagination, and unfiltered approach to life can remind us of the beauty in the simple. They also highlight the joy in the present moment. When we allow ourselves to learn from them, we gain insights that we may have lost along the way as adults.

Embracing the Unknown

Parenthood is full of unexpected moments. No matter how prepared we think we are, our children will surprise us with challenges and questions that we never anticipated. In these moments, it's essential to let go of the need to have all the answers. Instead, embrace the unknown alongside your child. Let their questions guide you both into new territories of understanding.

This approach requires humility. It means acknowledging that we don’t know everything and that it’s okay to admit it. When your child asks a question that stumps you, it’s an opportunity to explore the answer together. This not only fosters a deeper bond but also models a love of learning and a willingness to grow.

Listening More, Talking Less

One of the most important ways we can learn from our children is by listening - truly listening. Often, in our rush to teach or correct, we overlook the importance of simply being present and hearing what our children have to say. Their thoughts and feelings, even when expressed in ways that seem trivial or immature to us, carry valuable insights.

When we listen, we validate their experiences and emotions, which helps them build confidence and self-awareness. We also open ourselves up to understanding their world, which can be vastly different from our own. By listening more and talking less, we create space for our children to express themselves authentically, and we learn to appreciate the world from their point of view.

Learning to Let Go

Part of the learning process in parenting is understanding when to let go - of control, of expectations, of our own preconceived notions. Children teach us that life is not always about following a plan but about being adaptable and open to change. They show us that sometimes the best way to guide them is to step back and allow them to discover things on their own, even if it means making mistakes.

Letting go also means allowing your child to be who they are, rather than who you think they should be. This requires us to unlearn the habit of projecting our desires and fears onto them and instead support them in their journey of self-discovery.

The Joy of Shared Growth

When we approach parenting with a mindset of learning rather than teaching, we create an environment where both parent and child can thrive. It becomes a shared journey of growth, where each day brings new opportunities to explore, discover, and evolve together.

In the end, the greatest lessons we can offer our children are not those we consciously teach, but those they witness as we learn alongside them. By embracing the idea that a child’s entry into our world is as much about our own growth as it is theirs, we become not just better parents, but better human beings.