PW invited parents of Sat Paul Mittal School, Ludhiana to share their insights on how they identify and nurture the natural talents of their children

“Despite being a working parent, I have carefully observed my children — Josya (class VII) and Bhavya (class XII) — in their formative years. Those days, my son loved to build robots with Lego bricks. As he grew older, we encouraged him to learn robotics. Today he is in the India Book of Records and has won many laurels for his school. During my daughter’s play-way school dance performance, I noticed she had amazing talent. Since then, finding the right mentor for her and keeping her engaged with dance and her passion for art and craft has become our agenda.” — Dr Monika Singla, professor of neurology, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital, Ludhiana

“I believe parents play a critical role in nurturing children’s talents from youngest age. I gave my daughter Krisha (class IV) ample space and liberty to follow her heart. We often think that because we are older, we are more knowledgeable. In the process, we hinder our child’s ability to make decisions. While it’s good to remind children to practice their skills, it works better when children are themselves motivated to work on their skills. In my opinion it is the parent’s role to gently shift responsibility on their children’s shoulders, constantly reminding them that they are more capable than they believe”— Mansi Ghai, community developer, Youth for Global Peace and Transformation

“I expose my son Aaryan (class II) to a variety of activities, hobbies and subjects and keenly observe him to identify his aptitudes. Every child is unique and has a unique journey. Giving my son the independence to make decisions and take ownership of his journey is our top priority. One thing that remains constant is my confidence in him. Investing in experiences and exposure to the world plays a very important role. As children learn substantially during travel, I travel with him as much as I can.” — Neha Aggarwal, nutritionist

“I observe my children — Ayaan (class VII) and Kyra (class V) — carefully and try to understand what activities excite them and accordingly suggest options. But ultimately it is my children who decide whether they wish to continue their choice of activity long-term or not. Child-led decision making makes it easy for me and my children to maintain continuity in skills development. Though sometimes I have felt my children have the necessary skills to advance in a particular activity, yet they refuse to continue with it, compelling me to devise ways to ensure they retain interest in it. — Dr Manisha Mittal, director, Orison Hospital, Ludhiana