Time: At least two periods or until the teacher is satisfied.
Learning objective: To understand through the story that relationships are not meant to be constricting, instead, living in them is our need.
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
Learning Objective: We are all connected to each other through different human relationships. These relationships can sometimes seem like restrictions or constraints. There are invisible ties that keep us connected and can show us the right way. Similar to a kite that can fly high only when connected to the string. If the string gets cut, the kite is not able to fly. What is important here is that if the kite string is in the hands of someone who knows how to fly well, then the sky's the limit. The kite can reach new heights. Through this story, the attempt is for students to see how relationships keep us not only connected but enable us to live better.
Story
One day Manjeet was learning to fly a kite from his father at their house terrace. Manjeet’s father took the kite to a certain height and then gave the string to Manjeet to handle. Soon, his kite was flying in the open sky. Manjeet asked his father, “Don’t you feel the kite wants to free itself and fly higher in the sky, but the string that we hold stops it from flying that high. If we leave the string, it will fly higher.” Then Manjeet asked his father if they should cut its string.
His father, without saying anything, cut the string and set the kite free. The kite began to fly higher and Manjeet felt very happy. But in a short while, the kite started falling and landed on the terrace of a house. Manjeet was surprised to see this. His father put his hand gently on Manjeet’s shoulder and smiled and said, “I knew that if I cut the string, the kite would fall. It is by being tied with the string that the kite gets the right direction and it can fly high.
Manjeet was surprised and asked him, “If you knew then why did you cut the string when I asked you to?” His father said, “I wanted you to learn something from this kite.” Manjeet asked what his lesson was. His father said, “Our family and relationships tie us like this string. When we move ahead, fly high, then these relationships when required, give us room (like the kite string is let loose sometimes) and when required to pull us, they do so, to ensure that we don’t lose track. We can fly high and be successful in the open sky of this world only by being attached to our family ties. They give us the right direction.
Day 1
Proposed questions for discussion
1. Elders in the family often correct and guide their children. Why do they do this? What do you feel they get by doing this?
2. Can you recall an incident when a member of your family told you to do something which you did not like then, but later you realised what they said was right?
3. In order to have the right direction and progress in life, the ties of family relationships are important. Agree/Disagree? Why?
At home – Observe, Enquire, Understand (for students):
Day 2
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
1. Share one incident when your dear ones told you the right thing due to which you could save yourself from taking the wrong path.
2. Are such relationships that stop us time and again from doing the wrong thing and encourage us amid disappointment, important for everyone?
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
Learning objective: To understand through the story that relationships are not meant to be constricting, instead, living in them is our need.
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
Learning Objective: We are all connected to each other through different human relationships. These relationships can sometimes seem like restrictions or constraints. There are invisible ties that keep us connected and can show us the right way. Similar to a kite that can fly high only when connected to the string. If the string gets cut, the kite is not able to fly. What is important here is that if the kite string is in the hands of someone who knows how to fly well, then the sky's the limit. The kite can reach new heights. Through this story, the attempt is for students to see how relationships keep us not only connected but enable us to live better.
Story
One day Manjeet was learning to fly a kite from his father at their house terrace. Manjeet’s father took the kite to a certain height and then gave the string to Manjeet to handle. Soon, his kite was flying in the open sky. Manjeet asked his father, “Don’t you feel the kite wants to free itself and fly higher in the sky, but the string that we hold stops it from flying that high. If we leave the string, it will fly higher.” Then Manjeet asked his father if they should cut its string.
His father, without saying anything, cut the string and set the kite free. The kite began to fly higher and Manjeet felt very happy. But in a short while, the kite started falling and landed on the terrace of a house. Manjeet was surprised to see this. His father put his hand gently on Manjeet’s shoulder and smiled and said, “I knew that if I cut the string, the kite would fall. It is by being tied with the string that the kite gets the right direction and it can fly high.
Manjeet was surprised and asked him, “If you knew then why did you cut the string when I asked you to?” His father said, “I wanted you to learn something from this kite.” Manjeet asked what his lesson was. His father said, “Our family and relationships tie us like this string. When we move ahead, fly high, then these relationships when required, give us room (like the kite string is let loose sometimes) and when required to pull us, they do so, to ensure that we don’t lose track. We can fly high and be successful in the open sky of this world only by being attached to our family ties. They give us the right direction.
Day 1
Proposed questions for discussion
1. Elders in the family often correct and guide their children. Why do they do this? What do you feel they get by doing this?
2. Can you recall an incident when a member of your family told you to do something which you did not like then, but later you realised what they said was right?
3. In order to have the right direction and progress in life, the ties of family relationships are important. Agree/Disagree? Why?
At home – Observe, Enquire, Understand (for students):
- Students should try and understand by talking to their parents or elder siblings that when they were children, they too sometimes find their parents’ behaviour restricting like the kite string?
- Did they also think that once freed from the string, we will fly higher?
- Also try to ask them what they think about the same things today.
- Students should also pay attention to: when did someone try to explain something to them and who was that person? How are they related to you? How much happiness does that relationship give to you?
Day 2
Start the class with mindfulness – ask the students to focus on their breath for 2-3 minutes.
- Have some students recall the story.
- Have them share the feedback received from their homes in small groups.
- The first day’s discussion questions can be used again for the remaining students.
1. Share one incident when your dear ones told you the right thing due to which you could save yourself from taking the wrong path.
2. Are such relationships that stop us time and again from doing the wrong thing and encourage us amid disappointment, important for everyone?
Ask the students to sit quietly for 1-2 minutes and reflect on the essence drawn from the day’s discussion.
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- Alexander and Diogenes
- The Mind Palace
- Rabia’s Needle
- What is real and what is fake?
- How much land?
- Ego’s room
- Turban
- My Identity
- Arunima Sinha
- Socrates’ three questions
- Three labourers, three perspectives
- Serene water
- Who is speaking?
- The kite string
- A big man
- Brother, not a burden
- All together
- Sugar in milk
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