‘Sticks And Stones Can Break My Bones But Words Cannot Harm Me’

When I was 6, I had developed an interest for drawing. Mickey mouse used to be my favourite cartoon, and what a coincidence, my 2 year old daughter’s favourite too! I loved drawing cards for my parents on their birthdays, or even if there was no occasion. Every card would have a Mickey mouse in it, yet, I always received different words of appreciation from them. It made me happy. It made me want to draw more. For a child of that age, it’s a sense of accomplishment. Such an elated feeling. Now that I am a parent, I understand how and why my parents would appreciate me again and again for the same drawing. Seeing my child happy is one of the best feelings in the world.

I remember once, my mom was in the kitchen, cooking. I sat at the dining table, with my legs dangling from the chair. I tore the middle page from my ruled notebook and started drawing. No guesses, it was Mickey mouse again, haha!! When my mum came into the room, I tried hiding the paper with my little hands. It was going to be a surprise card for her. When I completed making the card, I gave it to her and she was overjoyed yet again!! She pasted it on the kitchen wall. My Dad returned from work and I was applauded once again. And believe me, my drawing was really bad.

Later, when I was 10, I wanted to go to a drawing class. I joined one and learnt a lot. One day, in my sketch book, I drew a porter. I knew the sketch was not good, after all it was so difficult to draw a human face. Moreover, the hands were so disfigured too. I was disappointed. To add to it, a child next to me said, your Porter’s hands look like claws. I returned home. My parents would always be interested in what I drew in class. So, they saw the sketch and again said that it’s beautiful. Then I told them what that child had said. My Dad then told me, yes with time you will improve but this is beautiful. He told me always remember,”sticks and stones can break my bones but words cannot harm me”. I was encouraged. I was motivated. 

My sketching improved over the years. I won’t call myself an artist. I still have a long way to go. However, I can now draw faces, human figures and people can also guess the person sketched.

Sticks and stones can break my bones but words cannot harm me. And if the words are positive, your whole world can change.

Use words of encouragement for your child. You will be surprised to see their world change.

Here’s a sketch of my favourite artist. Oh!! Do not be afraid of the word favourite. She is definitely not going to be my next Mickey Mouse 😂

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Image via Pixabay

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