Growing Up with My Boys
By Mdm Agalya Devy Balaguru, Head of School, Knewton Global Schools Ipoh

People often say that children grow up too quickly. Looking back, I realise something else was happening at the same time—I was growing up with them.

When we become parents, we imagine we’ll show our children how the world works. But children have a wonderful way of turning the tables. They introduce us to new worlds, new interests and adventures we never expected.

Take football, for example.

Before my two boys came along, football was simply twenty-two people chasing a ball. Then suddenly I was learning the offside rule, discussing Premier League teams, watching matches and celebrating goals as though my own reputation depended on them. Somewhere along the way, I had become a football fan.

Then there were the PlayStation years.

One game became legendary in our household: Small Soldiers. The fearsome Commando Elite, led by Major Chip Hazard, battled the peaceful Gorgonites under Archer. My boys loved the game, but they were just frightened enough that they preferred not to play it alone. Their solution was simple: Mum would be the hero.

So, I became the hero.

One child would hide behind each of my shoulders while I held the controller. They acted as my tactical commanders.

“Shoot!”

“Jump!”

“Behind you!”

“Attack!”

It felt less like playing a video game and more like flying a fighter jet with two very enthusiastic co-pilots shouting contradictory instructions. I don’t remember how many levels we completed, but I vividly remember the excitement. Those moments are memories I’ll always treasure.

Then there was the day they proudly announced they had “rescued” a tortoise.

They were convinced it had been abandoned. I suspected it had simply wandered away from the pond in the nearby park. Nevertheless, the tortoise temporarily became part of our family, and together we researched what tortoises eat, built a home for it, and learnt that not every wandering animal needs rescuing!

I learnt about Lego cities, superheroes, Pokémon, dinosaurs, Harry Potter, remote-controlled cars, Nerf battles and the curious fact that children can survive on seemingly endless amounts of energy while their parents cannot. There were countless other adventures along the way.

Each stage of childhood invited me into a new world. Then, almost without noticing, the roles slowly reversed. The children who once asked me to fix everything became the ones patiently teaching me how to use new technology and navigate a rapidly changing world.

Perhaps that’s the greatest surprise of parenthood.

We think we are raising our children, but all the while they are raising us too. They make us more patient, more adventurous and more willing to see the world through curious eyes. They remind us that joy is often found in the simplest moments—a football kicked around the garden, a PlayStation battle won together, or a “rescued” tortoise that probably wasn’t lost in the first place.

Looking back, I don’t remember every goal that was scored or every game that was won. What I remember most is the privilege of growing up all over again—this time through the eyes of my children.

The greatest inheritance our children leave us is not found in photographs or keepsakes. It is the part of ourselves that they awaken: our curiosity, our imagination, our willingness to laugh at ourselves and our capacity to love without limits. In helping them become who they were meant to be, they quietly shaped who we became. And for that, every football match, every PlayStation battle, every “rescued” tortoise and every wonderfully chaotic day was worth it.

 

Key Vocabulary

• Reputation – The opinion people have about someone or something.
• Legendary – Very famous and admired; often talked about for many years
• Fearsome – Looking or seeming very frightening.
• Tactical – Done with careful planning to achieve a goal.
• Enthusiastic – Showing great excitement and interest.
• Contradictory – Saying or showing the opposite of something else.
• Privilege – A special advantage or benefit that not everyone has.
• Inheritance – Money, property, or qualities received from family members.
• Willingness – Being ready or happy to do something.
• Chaotic – Very messy, confusing, or out of control.

As parents, our default instinct is often to teach. Yet, as we step into the new worlds and unexpected adventures of parenthood, something incredible happens: we learn without even realising it. In those moments, we discover that our children are actually teaching us.

At ILTI, we embrace this same spirit. We make it a priority to truly understand our students, fostering a warm, close connection where they feel heard, valued and inspired to grow.✨

Your journey starts here.

Call/WhatsApp: 010-395 3067 or email us at info@ilti.edu.my

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