As a parent a constant conundrum I face
Of finding the middle ground, that perfect place
Where on my child, I do not put extra pressure
Yet disciplined learning I somehow ensure
There’s so much to learn, so much to imbibe
For a five year old, sometimes it’s hard to describe
Things in a way suited for his comprehension
Yet there are times when his grasp of things
Truly amazes me, and with it maternal optimism brings
That my child would turn out to be “gifted” after all
In a trap of grandiose plans I then fall
Until my child falters at a milestone he was supposed
To have achieved at his age, the door is then closed
On my unfinished dreams, disappointment appears
Bringing out, as a parent, my worst fears
I worry that my son is going to lag behind
His peers, the question pervades my mind
And against my better judgment I coax him some more
To improve upon what he did before..
If he does it well, I shower him with praise
A bit too lavish, but if he fails to change his ways
I worry if I have hurt his self-esteem
Or scared him off completely by being so extreme
Then I wonder if at each step I am overthinking
My validation as a parent to his performance I’m linking..
**
Like every parent, all I want to give my son
Is a well-rounded childhood so he can become
Of this society, a well-adjusted member
A happy and successful individual who can remember
To uphold all the values that I hold dear-
That might not happen, is my constant fear
Then I see my son playing, quite oblivious
Of all the real and imaginary fears that make me nervous
And I smile to myself, knowing he would eventually
Turn out all right, as long as I can his best supporter be!
Passion...unbridled 