Kids demand attention

• Why is childhood such an important time of life?  When does it end?

Childhood is such an important time of life, because it is the period when a child starts to build and develop his relationship with his parents. Every emotionally healthy kid will demand the attention of their parents, and if not achieved, will have a hard time connecting with them. That gap will expand more if this child sees that the attention he seeks for is given to someone else. This results to JEALOUSY.  The need to be recognized as a person is so strong that a child will do anything for recognition.  

Amir from the book called Kite Runner, is a kid who loves his father so much but does not receive or at least feel the same amount of love from Baba. At first he thought that maybe his father blames him for his mother's death, and so he felt obliged to please his father as much as he can: even though Amir's true talent are writing and poetry, he tried to like soccer because that's what Baba likes. Despite his efforts, Baba's attention goes to his friendly servant named Hassan.

Hassan is Amir's playmate. They spent their 12 years of childhood playing hide-and-seek, cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians, and insect torture games. One of the past times of the two was kite running with Baba.

If you still do not know, Kite Running is one of the most popular sport in Afghanistan because it proves one's honor. To learn more about Kite Running [click here]. During Amir's time, Kite Running was a way to escape the daily hardships of being at war with the Taliban. But, for Amir, his reason was different. Amir felt the need to participate because before the competition started, Baba has told him (for the first time) that he has a chance to win. As a child whose main desire was to please and earn his father's attention, Amir did everything to win (he even allowed Hassan to be raped by Assef). When Hassan got back with the kite, Amir acted as if nothing happened. All he really cared about was the fact that he won the competition.

Truly, Amir's actions showed us that he is just a typical kid who demands attention from his father, Baba. Just like him, we all want to be recognized because that's how we know that a person loves us.  Amir could not stand seeing his father show love to Hassan and NOT HIM which lead his jealousy to grew more.  [spoiler alert] As the story progressed, Amir placed his watch under Hassan's pillow and accused him of stealing it. Despite the allegation, Baba was willing to forgive Hassan. This resulted for Amir to realize that his father's love for Hassan is way greater than he had ever imagined.

Why do you think Baba displays a deep affection towards Hassan? Does Baba really hate Amir? Or is Hassan his illegitimate son? We will find that out in the next coming chapters. But for now, all we can expect is that just like every other kid, Amir will soon  end his childish behaviors. To do this, Amir must first learn how to love and be loved more, and must realize that he can't go back and change what he has done as a child.

Semple, Kirk. "For Afghan Boys and Men, Kite Flying Is a Way of Life."Nytimes.com. Arthur Ochs Sulzberger, Jr., Dec.-Jan. 2007. Web. 20 Mar. 2014.