No Zayed, you are too young to carry a cellphone,” said Zayed’s mom while taking away her mobile phone from Zayed’s hand.

Zayed was a 12-year-old boy who studied in class eight. As he was about to enter his teenage, he had been facing various issues, especially the issue related to ‘freedom’ that he desperately wanted. But as he was still young, his parents, particularly his mother, were protective about him. This annoyed Zayed and he remained upset most of the time.

One day, during lunch break, Zayed was sitting on a bench and not eating his lunch when his class teacher came to him.

“What’s wrong with you Zayed? Is everything alright? I have been noticing you for many days, you don’t seem happy! What’s the matter?” she asked Zayed and he told her the problem.

Zayed said, “Ma’am my parents love me so much, but why don’t they understand that I am also a human being and want a little freedom. I want to carry a cellphone but my mother doesn’t allow me to do so. I want to party with my friends, she doesn’t allow me to do this too. Even on Sundays when it’s my right to spend a few more hours on Facebook, she forbids me to do so! Don’t I have the right to be happy ma’am?”

Listening to Zayed, his class teacher understood the whole matter. She said, “My child, you have every right to be happy and free, and your parents are the only ones who will do anything to keep you happy but Zayed, the will to be happy and free must not make a person blind! We all must be able to see the difference between right and wrong.”

“But ma’am, is talking to my friends on cellphone or Facebook wrong?” Zayed interrupted his teacher.

“No Zayed, it’s not wrong but you must understand that you are about to enter your teenage and still not mature enough to understand the highs and lows of this world — you can’t see the negative aspects of using cellphone or Facebook at this age.

That’s why your parents ask you to stay away from these things as much as possible,” Zayed’s teacher explained to him but he was still confused.

Then she tried to further elaborate and asked him, “Look for example, your mother buys you a new cellphone with all the latest features, what would you do then?”

Zayed became excited and quickly replied, “I will make calls to all my friends and stay connected with them through text messages; will listen to songs and download new ones every week or maybe every day and also take photos of my family and friends through mobile camera!”

“And won’t you protect it from getting damaged?” his teacher asked.

“Of course ma’am! I will keep it clean and scratch free by carrying it in a cellphone case and also make every possible effort to protect it from getting snatched or stolen. That would be my personal phone with all my data and photos saved in it, I will protect it for sure,” Zayed replied and his teacher had found the answer to Zayed’s confusion.

She said, “Your parents do the same! You feel so protective about just a cellphone that’s not in your hands yet. Think about your mother, who has given birth to you; think about your father, who works hard to meet your needs. Your parents have worked hard and endured so much pain in bringing you up and have been doing it for 12 years and will also do in the years to come. So don’t they have the right to protect you from the hazards of the world?”

Zayed’s teacher’s question compelled him to think about his parents’ motive in being protective about him. He had realised that whatever his parents ask him to do or not to do is for his wellbeing.

Zayed thanked his teacher and said, “Ma’am, it’s because of you that now I understand that we do have the right to be happy but within disciplinary limits.”