“Mumma, give me your phone. I want to ask something to Google.” My 4-year-old daughter came to me and asked.
“What do you want to ask?” I asked her.
“Mumma, please give.” She requested again as she knew getting my phone is not easy.
I said, “Ok let me open it for you.” I kept the button pressed and small lines of blue, yellow, red and green color made a microphone image and she understood it was time to ask the question. I never taught her this. :)
She asked, “Ok Google! When will the coronavirus go?” I looked at her amazed.
Google replied with some results and did not give her the answer which she wanted to listen to.
She asked me, “What did Google say?”
I said, “Google doesn’t know the answer to this question. It is showing some latest news and information about the coronavirus.” I resumed my cooking as I thought she would go and resume her play which she was doing earlier.
“But, you said Google gives an answer when we ask something. Like you ask how is the weather today and it always tells you. Then why is it not answering me?” She is getting impatient now that Google can only answer Mumma’s question and not hers.
“Baby… there are some questions which no one can answer... Not even google. Now you go and play.” I told her lovingly.
But to wander a kid’s thought today is not as easy as it used to be in our days. We used to be easily convinced most of the time by our parents.
“God… When will this coronavirus go?” She was standing in front of God’s idol folding her hands. I was amazed again that she learned this also where to go when technology doesn't have answers. When no one can answer her question on this earth, she contacted Almighty directly. I peeped to see what she would do next without interrupting her.
She asked one more time but didn’t get an answer. Then somehow she changed her question mode into more of the conversation mode and started, “Please God… End this coronavirus soon. I am not able to go to the park. I can’t play with my friends. This is causing trouble for everyone. Ok God… so please, finish it fast. Thank you!!” She talked to the point and swiftly went back to her toys.
It made me think maybe she is right, this is the only option left with us to just pray to God that this pandemic ends soon. I went and sat beside her.
“Very good Baby… now you prayed to God so he will surely listen to you. We don’t know when this will end but we can pray every day. We have to just stay at home and… ”
“Wash our hands properly and wear a mask if going out.” She interrupted me.
“Yes correct.” I hugged her and let her play.
In these few weeks, her vocabulary got a new addition of words like virus, bacteria, infection, mask, lockdown at the age of 4 which I never heard at that age.
When I talk to my friends and they tell about their kids of the same age group, I really wonder that these kids are experiencing a totally different perspective of life at this age. This situation is teaching them so many worthy lessons and they are learning it very patiently. How not to be stubborn for going out, how to be patient and calm when their parents are working from home, how to enjoy various activities and games other than TV and tablets and to eat homemade food with limited resources.
I hope this learning will be with them forever and make them more compassionate and grateful towards life and people.
