The Positive Journal

A few days ago, I was teaching him( my lil 5 year old brother )chess. I taught him the basic moves of queen, king, pawns, bishops, knights, rooks . He listened with those wide, curious eyes. But who knows if he truly understood? Five-year-olds do not  follow rules. They reinvent them. He started making his own rules. His own regulations. In his world, pawns moved like queens. Knights did what they felt like. And honestly ? The confidence with which he played..  you would think he could defeat grandmasters like Magnus or Gukesh. That fearless energy. That “I know everything” vibe. I realized something. What we think we are teaching… becomes something completely different in their minds. And maybe that’s okay. I expect nothing from him. But I promise to give him everything I can. It’s a privilege to be an elder sister.

“ Didi, Will You Play Charlie Charlie?” One evening he came running to me. “Didi, will you play Charlie Charlie with me?” He knew everything. Two pencils. One paper. A candle. Lights off. I played along. Then he said, “Didi, give me your phone.” I asked, “Why?” He smiled and said, “I want to play Hanuman Chalisa.” I laughed. But my heart? It went soft. In that moment, I wasn’t worried. I felt proud. Safe. Relieved. Because somewhere between cartoons and reels, this little boy chose faith over fear. What Kids Really Learn ? That moment hit deep. Kids don’t just copy what they watch. They absorb what they feel. Maybe guidance isn’t control. Maybe it’s presence. Maybe it’s love. And quiet values passed without lectures. We stress about screens. We panic about the future. We think we’re losing traditions. But roots? Roots are subtle. They grow underground first. That day reminded me  values don’t need speeches. They need an environment. And as an elder sister, that is my re...