The children, who were aged between 11 and 16 had become trapped in the Tham Luang caves in Chiang Rai after heavy rain triggered a flash flood that prevented them from escaping through a narrow tunnel.
We all have heard and read about the very recent ‘Thai Cave rescue’, the unprecedented mission to evacuate the “Wild Boar” football team and their coach from a flooded Thai cave had gripped Thailand and dominated global headlines.
The boys aged between 11 and 16, and their 25-year-old coach entered the Tham Luang cave in northern Thailand on 23rd June, Saturday during heavy rains after football practice. They were reported missing by the mother of one of the boys after her son didn’t come home that night. Local officials found bicycles locked to a fence and shoes and football boots close to the entrance.
On Sunday, June 24 the Park officials and police found handprints and footprints believed to belong to the boys. Relatives started to keep vigil outside the cave.
They were found by two British divers on July 2- after being missing for 13 days. That’s almost 2 weeks. Still when they were found, they were smiling. Their story of courage made them a motivation for the whole world. The only thing they asked for was food and water, their coach taught them meditation to keep their spirits high. We all know the effort and battle all the rescuers must have gone through, but time and again the faces of their parents specially mothers are doing rounds in my head. The greatest fear any parent has is losing the child, and these kids were lost for 13 days, their parents were not sure where they were and if they were alive or not. How did the parents cope with the situation? More than that, in a cold and dark cave with uncertain future and hunger in stomach, how did the kids manage to keep themselves sane and smiling for 13 long days?
There are so many things we can learn as parent from this whole incident.
Give your child the best but prepare them for the worst:
We all want our kids must get the best life and comfort. But incidents like these are accidents that happen without warning.
Let the child learn to be independent, they can do many things on their own if encouraged at an early age. Let them eat on their own, get dressed on their own let them make those small decisions. We try to give them everything in hand and think we are giving them a great life. No, believe me, the satisfaction of doing things on their own is a good ego boost for the child. in my journey of motherhood, I have learnt that “child” is the best age of human life to be adaptable. Let them learn few things on their own.
We try to spoon feed everything to our kids, that ways we might be giving them comfort right now but how about the real life? we do it out of love or to secure our future that we can boast to them later that “humne tumhare liye itna kiya??” think about this.
Teach them basic life-skills:
Nowadays kids are so busy with school, tuition and the classes for everything under the sky guitar, dance, skating, tennis, cricket, abacus, Olympiad and the list goes on. But where are the basic life skills???
Have you ever taken them to a bank to show them how it works what’s a withdrawal and pay-in slip?
Have they ever gone to a cobbler or a tailor or vegetable market and did a runtime addition subtraction?
Why??? I’m sure most of us have done these things with our parents as a child so now in the name of comfort why are we trying to change and justify the basics of parenting that is preparing the child for the real life.
How would they know if they are in a problem how can they get help, the moment child learns to speak make sure he know complete name and address with phone number of at least one parent.
Don’t scare them with cops saying, “they will come and take you away”, tell them police can help them if they lost their way or are feeling unsafe.
Understanding importance of being positive and having a positive outlook towards life:
Let them know, Understand and accept that life isn’t always a bed of roses, along with the roses there are thorns as well. Teach them how to foresee them, how to safe guard against those thorns however teach them the basics of survival if they get pricked and bleed by it. As a parent, it is our duty to give and build a emotionally healthy child. Talk to them about your real-life troubles, how you deal with them it will not only strengthen your bond but also teach them real time how to deal with tough situations, and they will be confident that even if tough time comes they can surely sail thru it. These 12 kids were so sure that they will be saved that none of them lost hope or mind.
Teamwork
Team work is not just for offices, it’s for home and society too. Teamwork can be taught when the maid doesn’t turn up and everyone chips in with some help in household work so that the mother doesn’t get overworked.
No one wants to get up and work, but they need to be taught. Lead by example. What kids see is what they do, have a collaborative and cooperative environment at home.
In schools they try to teach it thru group activities, but kids learn better at home.
Losing sight of kids even for few moments is a nightmare for any parent, we always wish our child to be safe, happy and most importantly in front of our eyes. But as a parent what we can do best is to train them, tech them and encourage them to learn ways of leading a comfortable life accepting all the challenges.
As the diver John Volanthen in the Thai cave rescue mission quoted ” I dive for passion and always wondered if it would have purpose. Last two weeks was what I prepared for my entire life”. Help the child in exploring their passion, don’t set boundaries of gender and age to it, your son might find peace in culinary skill so what top chefs of the world are men. you daughter might be passionate about joining the armed forces, let her do that. Become air below their wings don’t try to be the wings, God has given them their own set. You never know what they are meant for.
The courage and smiles on the face of these 12 kids has really changed a lot of things inside me as a mom. Hats off to their moms for the great upbringing. I am really so happy that all of them came out healthy and happy and the whole incident taught me so much. How about you???