A child—no older than the ones I work with every day—was
speaking passionately about a political leader, Vijay. But it wasn’t the
passion that caught my attention. It was the language. The child went on to say
that if their parents didn’t support this leader or vote a certain way, they
would harm themselves.
I paused the video. Not because I disagreed with the
opinion. But because I couldn’t ignore the weight of those words coming from
someone so young.
There was something about it that didn’t sit right.
And as I sat with that discomfort, I was reminded of Maria
Montessori, who spoke about a simple but profound responsibility we hold as
adults—to prepare the child for life, not just for outcomes. Preparation
doesn’t mean telling children what to think. It means helping them build the
emotional strength to handle any outcome.
Around the same time, I came across a clip of a journalist making a point that stayed with me. He said that leaders like
Vijay—especially those who wield such deep emotional influence over young
audiences—could consider issuing a message before results are announced. A
message that gently tells children:
"No matter what happens, always take care of yourself. You are precious."
It struck me how powerful—and necessary—that kind of communication is.
Because what children are absorbing today is not just information. They are picking up on the urgency, the tone, and the sense that everything feels so final. Somewhere along the way, our conversations seem to have become heavier than they need to be.
And children are picking that up in ways we may not always notice.
As adults, we often focus on what children are
saying. But perhaps it’s time we paid closer attention to how they say
it—and, more importantly, from where they learn what they say.
Because children don’t just hear conversations—they learn
from the way we handle them. And slowly, they begin to believe that
disagreement is dangerous, that being heard requires being loud, and that
strong feelings must be expressed through stronger words.
This is not about politics. It is about responsibility. The responsibility of having mindful conversations. The responsibility of choosing words that don’t harm, even in disagreement.
And the responsibility of preparing our children for a world where not everyone will think like them—and that’s okay. Be it a win or a loss, children need to learn that outcomes can be accepted with steadiness. If we don’t show them how to hold differences with dignity and calm, they may begin to hold them with fear—or forget balance in moments of success.
I am writing this as the votes are being counted to declare
the winner. And as we wait—for numbers, for results, for outcomes—perhaps there
is something more important we can hold on to.
Whoever wins, whatever the result—let us be responsible towards our children. Let us be mindful of the words we model, the emotions we amplify, and the messages we leave behind. Because long after the results are declared, what will stay with them is not who won, but how we chose to respond.
And as I sat there, reflecting on that one video, a thought quietly stayed with me— Maybe it’s not just children who need a Calmversation Camp. Maybe… we need one for all adults too!
"You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think." — A.A. Milne
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