What makes it so unique?
The subject of the experiment was my brother Nirman, who became my gateway for some unfathomable insights that the results brought about with them.
What was the experiment?
The experiment began on the 25th of November with the birth of a pious and lovely soul named Nirman.
Step 1: For over six months, he learned to interact with several people in cute ways with great patience. Hand gestures, whistles, toys that made different sounds to grab attention (though at times uncalled for), caring touch of a mother and father, etc. Changing a few variables and conditions, he was fondly made to learn to consume food (initially milk) and water, made to take burp, gradually put to a regular schedule of sleep, eat and play while his receptors were learning to respond to a stimulus called ‘Nirman.’
Step 2: When his bones became sufficiently strong to help him maneuver, Nirman was baited into moving forward, backward, and sidewards. Having learned balance a little better, his coordination ability was brought under the microscope. A warm, loving hug from mom and dad had a field strong enough to pull him towards them by crawling for a few steps and then more. While everyone celebrated this moment with tears in their eyes and happiness in their hearts, it was time for the next step.
Step 3: After nine months of learning in this new world, Nirman was potentially ready to climb on his feet and start walking. But lazy as he was like me, he had to be gently persuaded into climbing on his feet and then maintaining balance with the help of infinitely committed parents to protect him from injuries. But the experiment came to a halt due to an obstruction. Nirman had started teething a month ago, but his gums became unbearably itchy for a toddler his age and made him sick. After a discomforting cycle of stomach aches and throwing up, fever that moved in and out like an unwanted guest, vehemently changing sleep cycle, and bad moods, he was brought to comfort by constant selfless care of family members. After that, the experiment resumed with greater intensity, and finally, on the 14th of September, he passed level three with flying colors as he could now walk without falling.
Step 4: As soon as the celebrations were over and unforgettable memories captured with immeasurable joy, the experiment began to change gears. Being the brother of mine, Nirman had to be notorious. He started running here and there throughout the day, littering the house with a mountain full of toys and picking random objects and throwing them, all of which were brought together by our dear grandpa and grandma. He rode on their backs (as if they were horses) with a deeply entrenched sense of security and safety that their warmth provided. Mother would run around the house to feed this embodiment of mischievousness, and there was constantly patrolling over what he kept in his mouth (he was a thumbsucker who used to put random things into the mouth). I played my part throughout with a bit of jealousy, for he grabbed all the attention, yet I loved him endlessly. Here we began playing with a plastic ball that he could throw over a distance of a meter.
Step 5: He has now become two years old, much more active, mobile, notorious, and additionally an unstoppable screamer and speaker. Yes, he was taught to make sounds, and gradually he gifted everyone with his first “MA…MA…”, “PA…PA”, “BHA…BHA”! Down the road, by now, he has started babbling consistently, irrespective of whether he is being heard or not. He has started jumping on me whenever I go to sleep or whenever he wants me to wake up. He has learned to hold himself steady when we go out for a bike or car ride. This house of innocence has started complaining about his “BHAIYA,” who has to listen to many negative words for the crimes he never committed! Indeed, the experiment has succeeded over this tenure of two years.
What were the observations made?
The experiment corresponded to all the expected outcomes. The correlation between the factors and responses was much more significant than anticipated. Undeniably, love, selfless affection, and care were the key ingredients for such a satiating meal, i.e., Nirman’s upbringing. An infinite amount of patience and sleepless nights did not hinder the process.
What did I learn?
The experiment, as mentioned earlier, has been the most special to me. Being a science student, I have had opportunities to perform over a dozen of them. Yet, I fondly reminisce about this experiment as ‘Upbringing of Me Part 2’ has been the best.
I could relive the childhood that I very vaguely remember. I learned to care, love, and sacrifice (at least I learned to appreciate the gift that my parents and adults made). I knew what selfless efforts meant, what infinite patience took, and what true joy was. I learned to live every moment of my life and celebrate small victories and milestones. I knew that failure was not about crying but about retrying. I learned that discipline and a regal schedule are essential for one’s well-being. I learned responsibility every time I had to play with Nirman, put him to bed, at times bathe him, take him for a ride, feed him, or at any time that I spent with him. I learned about child psychology, heuristics, the effects of incentives on motivation, and so on. I learned to respect a mother, a father, a sibling, a grandparent, or anyone who cares about you more than they do about themselves. In the end, I learned how to stop being jealous of my sibling for all the attention he is getting!
Last but not least, the initial experiment has been successful, and the paperwork for approval of the second one is on its way.
