What should a child’s early years look like? That question is at the heart of a post that has been making the rounds on X. Instead of talking about exam scores or school rankings, the post focuses on something much simpler: how children spend their childhood. Shared by a man who lived in Norway, the post compares his experience there with what he later noticed in India, and it has prompted many people online to share their own views on childhood, learning, and growing up.The post was shared by X user Vinod, who said living in Norway changed the way he looked at children’s wellbeing and the purpose of kindergarten.
‘It’s where children learn to become children’
Sharing his experience, Vinod wrote, “Living in Norway has quietly changed the way I think about children and their well-being. In Norway, kindergarten isn’t seen as a place to get ahead academically. It’s where children learn to become children.”According to him, children there spend much of their time outdoors, regardless of the season. They explore forests and mountains, climb rocks, play in the mud, and build things with their hands. He said they also pick up important life skills by caring for nature, settling disagreements, and learning to be independent.He summed up his thoughts in a line that many users highlighted.“Reading and writing will come. Childhood won’t.”
What he noticed after returning to India
Vinod said he looked at things differently after returning to India. He shared that he saw many young children, some only around three years old, carrying school bags, tracing letters, counting numbers, and completing worksheets.Describing how that moment affected him, he wrote, “It feels like they’re already being prepared for the next class instead of simply being children. I just sat there watching them. My eyes filled with tears.”He ended his post by asking people to think about what should come first during childhood.“Maybe the first lessons in life shouldn’t be ABC or 123. Maybe they should be confidence, kindness, resilience, curiosity and the joy of simply being a child. What kind of childhood do you think every child deserves?”
Social media users share different opinions
The post quickly drew reactions from users, with many agreeing with Vinod’s thoughts while others felt the discussion was more about parenting than education.One user commented, “Spot on, Vinod. Norway’s nature-filled kindergartens let kids truly be children and build real resilience, while India’s early worksheets trade precious childhood for marginal academic gains.”Another wrote, “Indian kids are busy watching mobile phones and scrolling through reels. They’re slowly losing their childhood. We, the ’90s and 2000s kids, truly enjoyed our childhood with nature and outdoor games, things this generation doesn’t even know.”Not everyone, however, agreed that the education system was the main issue. One user wrote, “It’s all about parenting, I would say.”Another simply said, “Indian kids have lost their childhood.”Disclaimer: This article is based on a viral social media post and publicly available comments. The views and opinions expressed are those of the individuals concerned. The Times of India has not independently verified the claims made in the post.Thumb image: Canva (for representative purposes only)
