Intrinsic motivation!!

"Dhruv, if you stand up , you cannot answer this question. Ok now somebody tell me,.... On what continent is the Amazon River located? , Sukrit, you can't answer this question" (Here Drhuv is a 5 year old, and Sukrit a big 13 year lil more knowledgable old boy)

A soft, dulcet voice pipped higher than the rest. The authority in her voice was evident. There was no mistaking her role. How could anyone not stand and watch and listen?!

I still have to come across a sight so heartening and filled with warmth. 10 pairs of bright, sparkling eyes were looking unblinking at her, in rapt attention. They could not afford to miss even one word, she had very thoughtfully put forth. If they did, another child would put up her hand - a la classroom style, before they could, and they would lose all of 5 points.

I stood a few feet away, just at the turn of the corridor, eagerly awaiting the response. What I saw, will stay etched there in my forever filled heart. A petite, 8 year old girl ,Dia, was holding a book of TRIVIA and surrounding her in a radius of less than a feet were 5-6, four, five and six year olds...girls and boys all huddled , sitting cross-legged and staring wide eyed-eared at her. She had achieved what few of us adults can. To get a child of that age to sit still is an achievement and that too during their evening playtime- we momma's can vouch for that.

Now I understand why my little one had come home the other day from play and said in a very angry, sad, dejected tone and told me, "Ma! you're very bad, you didn't teach me the capitals of the world!, even Mahika knows :(" Then, I had wondered what brought this on and my mind had raced and delved in to his school schedules, to see if I had missed some test of his. I sat with him then and was beaming a huge grin. It was my favourite pastime, we were out with our Atlas ( I would read the Atlas when I was a kid, when I was bored) and my son was all ears and hands and legs looking at the small, tiny lettered cities and countries and rivers and mountains....

What could have been a time consuming, tedious, war logged task for us parents, who have hyperactive, restless and 'terribly short attention span' children, who think only of running, jumping, and falling, Dia had achieved it effortlessly .

Also spotted were a few older rather smug looking boys ( the 12-13 year olds) including her brother who sports a T-shirt, that reads, " I'd rather trade my sister for a video game" and my older one too, walking past and slowing down next to them, hoping to overhear her questions, and then running it through their mind databanks, if only to go back and show off their ' I'm superior skills',

Motivational skills developing early. I'm sure her little class will ever be thankful to her. And so will their proud momma's and papa's , even though it means asking her son for the millionth time, after being told,

Son,- "Ma! ask me what is the capital of Turkey"

Me ,-" What is the capital of Turkey? "

I'd like to leave you with a classic poem on motivation. I loved this and wanted to share it with all of you.

Promise Yourself

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing

can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity

to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel like

there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything

and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best,

and expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others

as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on

the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times

and give every living person you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself

that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, and too strong for fear,

and to happy to permit the presence of trouble.