This one is for the children. Those pint-sized monsters who can drive you bonkers one second and tug at your heartstrings the next. What is it about them? Those little dirt magnets; those bawling, wailing brats who still make you want to cuddle them and not ever let go.
As the world gets ready to celebrate Children's Day on November 20, we remember all the children who have made our world brighter every day.
We cannot feature all of them, but here are three:
Young Mozart
As I walked into the office of the Emirates Youth Symphony Orchestra, I met Campbell McLauchlan, a cheerful 12-year-old from Sydney, Australia.
Campbell has at least two special gifts - one is music and the other is kindness. The young musician, who has been in Dubai for the past one year, uses his talent to help raise money for charities.
"In my old school in Sydney, they used to encourage us to do as much charity work as we [could], so I started busking in North Sydney Station to collect money," Campbell says.
In Dubai, he has already performed at the Ibn Battuta Mall and Mall of the Emirates to collect money for Dubai Cares. At Ibn Battuta, he collected more than Dh2,000.
His father, Richard McLauchlan, says that music has a way of bringing people together and stressed the importance of teaching children to care about others.
The motto of his previous school was "Not for ourselves alone" and apparently it struck a chord with Campbell who can play the violin, guitar and piano.
The motivated and ambitious young boy says it is great to be part of the symphony because almost all the concerts they organise are for charity.
While playing his classical music at the mall, Campbell managed to pull quite a crowd. People of various nationalities and ages gathered to hear him play. Some even gave money to the children to drop in the donation box.
"It was great because people who don't usually listen to classical music stopped to listen and donate," Campbell says. When asked if he was nervous, he says: "Only when I spotted people I know!"
Car crazy
The UAE is filled with fast cars with top-of-the-range models, but do you think you can name all of them by taking just a look? That is exactly what Bangalore boy Pranav Pramod can do and he is not even 4 years old yet!
When shown cars in the Gulf News classified section, he could name them without a moment's thought or hesitation.
He could even say if it was an old or a new model by looking at specific parts, such as the shape of the headlight.
Quite impressive for someone who cannot yet put full sentences together. When asked what he wanted to do when he is older, he yelled excitedly "Car racer!" To which, his parents laughed nervously. They explained it all started when they gave him the classified section to keep him busy.
But they never expected him to memorise the names of all the car models. No wonder his first word was "car".
He is even featured on the website of his school, Kindergarten Starters, after appearing for a test the administration prepared.
Unlike any other child, Pranav likes to spend his playtime in the car park where he can identify all the cars instead of being out in the playground - that is his idea of fun.
Also, whenever he is out with his father, he tries to convince him to take him to a showroom where he can buy a car.
Pranav even told me he would buy me a Ferrari when he was older and has money as his dad. If only.
Worldly wise
When I heard about 3-and-a-half year old Aazer Husain, who is able to identify all the countries of the world with ease - I was curious.
His father, Husain Sayed, says it all started when they took him to the supermarket earlier this year and pointed out different flags to him.
Although Aazer Husain knows the English alphabet, he does not know how to read and has not yet started school. Yet, he can look at any flag and name the country … just like that. The next day, his parents found out that he had memorised more than 25 flags and within 11 days he knew about 176 of them.
The parents were quite astonished to say the least. After consulting a few specialists, it was concluded he had a photographic memory and a high IQ for his age; so much so that they applied to the Guinness Book of Records. The organisers said they had never seen anything like it, Sayed says. At present, Aazer can identify 225 flags. He can even tell when the flags are turned upside down and spot even the tiniest difference.
Doctors have advised his parents not to pressurise him and instead help him remain self-motivated. The little boy is allowed to watch a few cartoons but the family prefers to involve him in more stimulating activities.
Aazer also likes to look at the stars but his parents will just have to wait to see where his talents lead him naturally.
The Young and famous
Rhain Davis
With his tackling techniques and striking prowess on the football field, this 9-year-old boy is said to be the next big sensation. And he owes it all to his grandfather who sent a DVD featuring the boy's skills to the Premier League champions.
Davis's video was posted on YouTube and viewed at least one million times. Before he knew it, Davis was signed on by Manchester United.
The UK-born Davis who had been living in Australia since the age of 4 is back in England. He joins fellow talents his age to work his way up after rubbing shoulders with heroes like Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney.
Dakota Fanning
Dakota Fanning is the youngest person to be nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award. Now aged 12, she's also the youngest member of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences.
Fanning's breakthrough performance came when she was only 5 years old during a commercial with the legendary Ray Charles.
Since then, she has appeared in many award-winning TV series including CSI, Friends, The Practice and Malcolm in the Middle.
The young starlet has also starred alongside movie greats such as Robert De Niro, Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Tom Cruise and Kurt Russell... to name a few.
Budhia Singh
Budhia Singh is the world's youngest marathon runner. At the age of 6, he was competing in 60-kilometre races. He entered the Limca Book of Records after completing a 65-kilometre run from the Jagannath Temple, Puri, to Bhubaneshwar on May 1, 2006.
However, the Indian Government stepped in and banned him from running after doctors found that he had high blood pressure.
But he continues to enjoy celebrity status.
A. Bordoloi
Three-year-old Asthajitananda Bordoloi made music history after releasing a nine-track album. That makes her the youngest professional Indian singer. Her parents noticed her humming when she was barely a year old.
Not long after, musical legend Bhupen Hazarika allowed her to record her album which features his songs. Since then, there has been no looking back for Bordoloi.
Abigail Breslin
At age 11, Abigail Breslin is the fourth youngest actress to be nominated for an Oscar for her role in Little Miss Sunshine.
This year, Breslin was ranked No 8 on Forbes's list of Young Hollywood's Top-Earning Stars, having earned $1.5 million (Dh5.5 million) in 2006.
Before her role in Sunshine, Breslin appeared in the films Signs (2002), Raising Helen (in which Breslin and her brother Spencer played siblings), The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (which Spencer also appeared in), Keane, Chestnut: Hero of Central Park, and The Family Plan.
Info: Child welfare
Universal Children's Day is observed on November 20, after being implemented by the UN General Assembly. The idea behind this concept is to encourage countries across the world to promote understanding between children and aid their welfare.
On this day, the assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention of the Rights of the Child.
Have your say
Do you know of other exceptional children? Do you think children these days are naturally smarter or are they under increasing pressure to be better than the rest?
