One morning, a girl named Riya woke up feeling fresh and happy in her home in Pune. She stretched her arms wide, yawned, and jumped out of bed. Today was going to be special as she had a drawing competition at school and she was very excited about that. She had worked hard on her colorful artwork, and she could not wait to show it to her teacher and friends.
Still feeling a little sleepy, Riya walked to the bathroom. She picked up her toothbrush and tried to get some toothpaste out of the tube. But nothing came out.
She was annoyed and squeezed the tube harder. Still, nothing! She tried shaking the tube, turning it upside down, and pressing it with both hands. But no matter how hard she tried, not a single drop of toothpaste would come out.
“Oh no! Maa, the toothpaste is finished!” Riya called out to her mom as she was worried that she would not be able to brush her teeth before school.
From the kitchen, maa’s voice was heard. “Check properly, Riya. There is always a little left if you try.”
Riya looked at the tube again. It looked completely flat like there was nothing left inside. Should she throw it away? She thought about asking her father to buy a new one. But then, an idea popped into her head.
Riya held the tube carefully and rolled it up from the bottom. She watched closely as a tiny bit of toothpaste moved up.
“Almost there,” she whispered to herself.
Then, she placed the tube on the edge of the sink and pressed it gently. She squeezed very slowly in the hopes that just a little more would come out. And finally, it happened! A small drop of toothpaste landed right on her toothbrush.
“YES!!!” Riya screamed. She was so proud of herself.
She happily brushed her teeth. When she was done with that, she rinsed her mouth and ran to the breakfast table. Her mother was busy making her hot aloo parathas, and her father was reading the newspaper.
Mama looked up and smiled at Riya. “See? If you try hard, there is always a way.”
Riya agreed. “I did not give up, and I made it work!”
Her father put down his newspaper and gave her a big thumbs-up. “That’s a great habit, Riya. In life, if we try hard enough, we can solve almost any problem.”
Riya’s face was glowing with pride. She felt happy, not only because she had brushed her teeth but because she had figured out a way to do it all by herself.
As she ate her breakfast, she thought about what her father had said. Maybe the next time she was stuck on a difficult math problem, she would not give up so easily. She had learned something important— if she kept trying, she could always find a way.
When something seems too hard, don’t give up immediately. If you keep trying and think of different ways, you can find a solution.
In life, we all face small problems, like finishing homework, learning something new, or fixing something broken. The important thing is to stay patient, think smart, and keep trying. And just like Riya, when we don’t give up, we can solve any problem!
Q: Why was Riya excited to go to school?
A: Riya had a drawing competition at school and wanted to show her artwork to her teacher and friends.
Q: What problem did Riya have in the morning?
A: Riya could not get any toothpaste out of the tube and thought it was empty.
Q: How did Riya get the last bit of toothpaste?
A: Riya rolled the tube from the bottom, pressed it on the sink, and squeezed until a little toothpaste came out.
Q: How did Riya feel after getting the toothpaste out?
A: Riya felt proud because she did not give up and found a way to solve the problem.
Q: What did Riya learn after her father praised her?
A: Riya realized that if she kept trying, she could solve other problems, like schoolwork.
Creative Problem-Solving Game
Activity:
In this fun activity, kids will try to solve simple problems like a stuck zipper, a puzzle with missing pieces, or a broken toy that needs fixing. The goal is for the child to come up with different ways to solve the problem. Parents can help, but the child should think of their own ideas first. This game teaches kids to be creative and not give up easily— just like Riya.
Why it’s fun:
It helps kids think creatively and find multiple solutions to problems. It teaches them that patience and discipline leads to success and that problem-solving can be both exciting and rewarding.
Products:
Zippers, puzzles, toys or objects that can be fixed, other simple problems kids can solve.
How it Works:
Set up an easy problem (stuck zippers, missing puzzle pieces, or toys to fix).
Explain the challenge and ask the child to think of ways to solve it.
Let the child try their own ideas and find solutions.
Once they solve it, ask how they did it and how they felt.
Repeat the activity with harder challenges as they improve.
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