We’re doomed. Well, almost. If things keep going like this, our chances of survival aren’t looking great. We've already done so much damage to this world, and our last hope is in the hands of future generations—but let’s be real, are we setting them up to fix our mess? Or just handing them a dumpster fire and saying, “Good luck, kids!”
This question should haunt us like that embarrassing text you sent at 2 AM until we can confidently say, “Yes, we’re raising world-savers.” Charity starts at home, and so does teaching. We can’t just toss this responsibility aside like a New Year’s resolution.
When I was a kid, the things I learned stayed with me. Like reciting tables in chorus ‘Two oneza twooo”—yep, still got it. The Earth is spheroid, not flat—check. Mrs. Patela sold lipstick to other teachers at school—random, but unforgettable. Oh, and my school was built on a graveyard, which totally explains why the library felt haunted. These nuggets are still sitting somewhere in my brain, right next to the timeless gem: “Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.”
Fast forward to lockdown. With extra time on my hands, I did some deep reflecting—or at least, deep-ish. And naturally, instead of diving into Shakespeare or Socrates, I analyzed the most profound literature of all: nursery rhymes.
So, one, two, buckle your shoe, and let’s break these down.
It starts strong with ‘Twinkle, twinkle, little star,’ only to immediately ask, ‘How I wonder what you are?’
Really? The poet couldn’t commit to their own thought for two lines? What a confidence booster for kids! Do we really need to plant the seeds of self-doubt this early?
Do we really want to mass produce imposter syndrome?
Pretty sure even the most famous line of DC comic world would reduce to ‘Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Eh, I’m not sure if is Superman either.’
And then we compare the star to a diamond. Great. Now kids are not only confused but also introduced to materialism. Perfect. No wonder Punjabi songs are all about lehengas, cars, and jewelry. (That’s a topic for another day. 😅)
If we now focus on Humpty Dumpty we’ll see this one’s a bigger mess.
Humpty climbs a wall, falls, and all the king’s horses and men can’t put him back together.
Wow. Inspiring leadership, huh? No wonder millennials and Gen Zs don’t trust governments—our rhymes set us up for disappointment early on.
And last but not the least let’s not forget Rain, Rain, Go Away, Little Johnny wants to play.
Here we have Little Johnny shooing the rain so he can play. Typical Johnny.
This attitude is probably why we’re dealing with climate change now. How about teaching Johnny to enjoy the rain instead? Jump in some puddles, Johnny! Build immunity. Learn about the water cycle? And if you’re going to be a Johnny, aim higher—like Johnny Sins Depp—versatile and open to anything.
We’ve gone from Socrates pondering the meaning of life to a generation yelling YOLO while turning deodorant cans into flamethrowers. Progress? Not exactly.
But hey, I’m not here just to rant (okay, maybe a little). Let’s rethink what we’re passing down to the next generation. If we keep feeding them random rhymes, we’ll end up with an army of Instagram ‘poets’ posting things like:
Your eyes are a window
to the soul
and mine are
closed
for maintenance
We’re not exactly aiming high, are we?
Instead, let’s teach the little ones some practical skills early on—things that’ll actually help them navigate life. Like, how to spot when a crayon is not theirs and how to negotiate like a pro for the blue one. Or how about teaching them to say, ‘I forgive you,’ without adding ‘but I’ll never forget’? Now that’s emotional intelligence.
Imagine a kindergarten class where kids learn to share snacks without turning into courtroom drama over the last Oreo. Revolutionary, right?
And when they grow up and inevitably laugh at us (because they will), at least they’ll do it while solving real problems—like figuring out how to close a glue stick without ruining it forever.
So, what’s stopping us from raising kids who are smarter than nursery rhymes about confused stars and reckless wall-sitters?
P.S. I don’t have kids, and I wrote this on a Monday night while battling all my Monday blues. So, if you’re a parent reading this, feel free to roll your eyes and call me naive. Peace!
This is peak unlearning. I am rethinking the meanings of all the nursery rhymes now!
So witty and humorous!! 😂😂
Loved it!!