The pencil box

One of the ‘first day of school’ gifts that every parent gives their child is a PENCIL BOX. A child’s true friend in school!. It has pencils, a sharpener, a ruler, an eraser, and as the child grows older some geometry implements too. We never take this pencil box seriously, we buy the best brand, best colour and that’s it, we don’t think about all that the contents of the box can teach kids for life. This blog is dedicated to the pencil box of every child. Enjoy.

Every parent buys a pencil box for their child for school and unknowingly gifts many ‘values’ of life to their child. It’s like a treasure box, a box that has everything that will help them with everyday school life, learning and living. Point out to your child the hidden treasure in every item of the pencil box and then observe how lovingly your child handles each item, with renewed respect and love.

The pencil teaches your child that-

•       You can make your mark in life
•       That you decide whether the mark will be light or dark
•        A pencil mark can be erased so it teaches kids that mistakes can be erased, so there is nothing to worry about.
•       A pencil has to be sharpened to perform well. It must be painful to the pencil to face that blade in the sharpner,but when it emerges it looks elegant, with a new point. This teaches kids that they will face criticisms, corrections and maybe even punishments but they should not be disappointed as they will emerge stronger and sharper to face the new challenges with renewed vigour and intelligence.

The eraser teaches kids-

•      To be ready to rub away mistakes so that they do not stay with you forever.
•      Eraser teaches that whatever your form or shape or size you should be good at what you do.
•      If you are not careful then you will also erase important things, so be careful.

The sharpener teaches kids –

•      That sometimes sharp things also bring about needed change
•      The sharpener keeps everything important upto date and that’s how children should be with important things in their room or cupboard.

The ruler teaches kids-

•      That whichever way you hold a ruler you will always get a straight line. So whatever task we do it should be done correctly and truthfully.
•       The ruler can measure accurately and so teaches kids to be accurate in their work
•        A ruler can draw lines, measure, so is a multitasker and teaches kids that multitasking is an important life skill.

Together the items of a pencil box teach kids that each one has a value and a role to play in life and together they can all be successful. So even though each item in a pencil box plays a different role, together they contribute to a child’s success in school.

The pencil box is indeed the child’s ‘school treasure box’ so gift it to your child lovingly and with a lot of fanfare so that kids understand its importance and learn to respect and use each item for their success.

Parable of the Pencil - Author Unknown

The Pencil Maker took the pencil aside, just before putting him into the box. ‘There are five things you need to know,’ he told the pencil,
‘before I send you out into the world. Always remember them and never forget, and you will become the best pencil you can be.’

‘One: You will be able to do many great things, but only if you allow
yourself to be held in Someone’s hand.

‘Two: You will experience a painful sharpening from time to time, but
you’ll need it to become a better pencil.

‘Three: You will be able to correct any mistakes you might make.

‘Four: The most important part of you will always be what’s inside.

‘And, Five: On every surface you are used on, you will leave your
mark. No matter what the condition, you must continue to write.’

The pencil understood and promised to remember and went into the box with purpose in its heart.
I think we sometimes forget our purpose. We stumble through the day, doing what has to be done without thought to what needs to be done. Henry Kissinger is credited with saying “the urgent takes all the time from the important.” We need to get back to the important. Like a  pencil, we leave our mark on each life we touch, especially our kids .