My mom said over a conversation to me recently, “Going abroad made you grow as a person so much. I am glad your outlook on life has broadened a lot.” I looked at her, smiled and said, “It wasn’t just the country I was in ma, it was the fact that I was pushed out of my comfort zone.” Truer words were never spoken.
I grew up in an Asian household, in other words, a highly protected and guided environment. It was not until I left home for further studies that I realised it’s a whole different world out there. Do not get me wrong, I am not condemning the way Asian parents raise their kids (perhaps Asian parenting is a topic for another day), in fact, I do believe that they care unconditionally and constantly look out for you even when you are older but culturally we are not as adventurous, told to stick to the “safe options” and tend to enjoy our comfort zone a little more than we should. However, as the saying goes, nothing ever grows in a comfort zone and life begins at the end of your comfort zone. So, here are two reasons why parents should let their hatchlings fly further than their comfort place and experience all that the world has to offer.
Diversification of Perception
We all inevitably grow up with a set of preconceived notions. Things that we believe as right and wrong; good and bad; positive and negative. However, the acumens we have about life is based on our experiences, cultural background and a sum of people we have known and mingled with. Staying put in a place or environment restricts the kind of people one can meet or the sort of experiences one can have. It is important to have the beliefs and notions to be challenged for the thought process to be growing and this only happens when one move from a place of familiarity to a place of unknown. It does not necessarily mean that one has to travel abroad, instead of moving between states or even from the town to the city and vice versa can help one to broaden their horizon. It is also absolutely untrue to think that one has to move from town to bigger cities to grow as a person. Having personally met people who have moved from the city to suburban areas and to learn the number of experiences they have garnered as a result of the move is extremely eye-opening. Essentially being able to leave the territory of comfort to a new place will introduce one to the new culture, lifestyle, language, ethics, thought to process and ideally a whole new world to explore and learn. Pushing your kids out of your comfort zone might be the best lesson a parent could give to their child as it is an experience on its own.
Let them fly solo
Speaking from personal experience, despite having been away from my hometown for over a decade now and having lived independently in different parts of the world, I still enjoy the pampering and dependence when I head home now and then. It is only natural to feel comfortable in a space so safe and so protected. However, I realised that I learned the most when I started living alone or away from my comfort zone. Things as simple as sorting out accommodation, planning expenses, making new friends, adapting to a new environment and indulging in new hobbies are cornerstones to being able to navigate your life in the absence of guidance. The truth is your kids are going to make mistakes, they are going to struggle to adapt in the beginning but you will surely watch them grow into a whole new person as you slowly let their hands-free while they learn to thrive in a new environment. Taking them out of their comfort zone does not mean parents need to completely let go of them but it is about being there for them when needed while allowing the children to make their own decisions, their own mistakes and learn from them. Letting them be independent and allowing them to take charge of their life is the best asset any parent can pass down to their kids.
The biggest gift of life from parents to kids will never be to spoon-feed them with everything they need, instead to furnish them with independence and skill to survive in any environment and to adapt to changes that happen fast with life. So dear parents, please push your kids out of the nest to see them metamorphose into a whole new person!
Thanusha is a content writer under Headliner by Newswav, a programme where content creators get to tell their unique stories through articles and at the same time monetize their content within the Newswav app.
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