I was also contemplating what the Mother has said: “grow to the level of the child.” Please elaborate on that.
The first important necessity is to create an atmosphere of peace and harmony in the house. A simple way to do that is to keep some beautiful, soothing music playing gently in the house and to avoid animated debates and discussions in the house.
There should be a balance in the child’s activities so that there is a chance for different aspects to develop. What the Mother means by growing to the level of the child is to reach out to the child and try to feel what the child is experiencing within himself, rather than wanting the child to be like oneself. It means to accept the child as he is and then work through his unique possibilities and challenges rather than force-mould him into our desired ways. Sometimes it is better to just let the child develop along one’s own lines rather than get too involved and tamper too much.
Try telling a story while the child goes to sleep, or else a single word or short mantra while caressing gently. See how the child responds to the Mother’s Name or her photograph.
These are some of my suggestions, but make sure that you don’t get overinvolved and lose your own inner life. Bringing up a child can be a tapasya, but the child cannot become the goal of one’s efforts. The difference is subtle but worth remembering.
