Last year my cousin delivered a cute baby girl. I became her Auntie. Fully occupied with school, I do not get to play with her very much. On Mother’s WeChat Moments updates, I see lots of her pictures; she appears to be growing fast.

The other day I paid a visit to my cousin and her baby daughter. She had grown much taller and stronger than I expected. My cousin and her husband took turns holding the baby in their arms. Obviously, she was the apple of their eye. I admitted that she was a pretty baby, yet I felt something missing.

At dinner, my aunt and uncle were looking after the baby. From the chats I learned that the baby was fed 5 times a day punctually. Her family adored her so much that they never let her feel hungry or cold. She is raised just like a flower in a greenhouse. Physically, the baby was well looked after. But I did not see the typical sparkle commonly found in a bouncing baby’s eyes. Besides, she was not as curious as other babies. When I tried to show her some new object, she did not reach for it.

I asked my cousin whether the baby could speak. She told me that her daughter could not even utter Mum or Dad. She was already over one year old.

I feel sorry for the baby girl. According to my family I was a very curious child. I was active and talkative. Mum said that I was often woken up by hunger at night. I was driven to explore new things. My mind worked fast in primary school. When there was a problem under discussion, I could come up with more ideas than my peers during the brainstorming.

Parents’ duties go way beyond meeting their child’s physical needs. They should interact with it, inspire it, and play with it. A healthy child is mentally active as well as physically fit.

Hopefully next time I visit the baby, she can talk and call me Auntie. May she become curious about the world around her as well.