The dining table was unusually quiet.
Meera pushed the vegetables around her plate while her mother served dinner.
“So,” her mother smiled, “how was school today?”
“Fine.”
“Only fine?”
A small shrug.
“What did you learn today?”
“We started a new poem in English.”
“Oh! Did you like it?”
Meera hesitated.
Then, almost in a whisper, she said,
“I don’t think English is for me.”
Her mother looked surprised.
“You’ve always liked English.”
“Not anymore.”
“Why?”
Meera stared at her plate.
“Everyone understood the poem.”
Another pause.
“Except me.”
For a moment, her mother wanted to reply,
“You just need to pay more attention.”
But something told her to wait.
Instead, she asked gently,
“Did everyone really understand it… or did it only seem that way?”
Meera didn’t answer.
She simply shrugged again.
That shrug said more than any words could.
My Perspective
As an educator, I’ve learned that children rarely say exactly what they’re feeling.
When Meera says,
“Everyone understood except me.” She may not actually be talking about the poem.
She may be talking about something much deeper:
“I feel left behind.”
Children often compare themselves to classmates who answer quickly, raise their hands with confidence, or seem to understand new ideas right away. But every classroom has students who learn at different speeds, have different strengths, and face their own challenges.
Comparison can convince children that they are the only ones finding something difficult.
They aren’t.
They are just the only ones who say it, if they say anything at all.
What Parents Can Do
When your child says something like this, resist the urge to solve the problem immediately.
Avoid responses such as:
- “You just need to study harder.”
- “Others can do it, so can you.”
- “Stop worrying.”
These words are well-meaning, but they can make children feel like their emotions are being ignored rather than understood.
Instead, try slowing the conversation down.
You might say:
“That must have felt difficult.”
“Tell me which part confused you.”
“It’s okay not to understand everything the first time.”
These responses do not lower expectations. They help your child feel safe, so it is easier for them to keep trying instead of giving up quietly.
Look Beyond the Words
Children often communicate through behaviour rather than direct statements.
A child who suddenly says, “I don’t like English anymore,” may actually be experiencing:
- fear of making mistakes.
- embarrassment about asking questions.
- pressure to keep up with classmates.
- a temporary loss of confidence.
The subject isn’t always the problem.
Sometimes confidence is.
One Conversation Can Change Everything
That evening, Meera’s mother didn’t open the textbook.
She didn’t begin another lesson.
Instead, she sat beside her daughter and said,
“You know, when I was your age, I was afraid of mathematics. I thought everyone else understood it except me.”
Meera looked up.
“Really?”
“Really.”
For the first time that day, Meera smiled.
Not because the poem suddenly became easier.
But because she realised she wasn’t alone.
A Gentle Reminder for Parents
Children do not always need quick answers. Sometimes, they just need someone to listen, to compare without judging, and to reassure without brushing off their feelings.
The goal isn’t to remove every challenge from your child’s path.
It’s to make sure they never feel they have to face those challenges alone.
Sometimes the most important lesson doesn’t begin in the classroom.
It begins with a conversation at the dinner table.
