The very essence of childhood is uninhibited play, exploring the unknown and the first casualty of such play is the very Asian-painted walls of the house. A fifteen minute power-nap on a rainy afternoon saw moi wake up to an industrious worker doing a modern day sketch on a nice blue wall with a nice brown crayon.
An exasperated gasp escaped my throat as i saw a messy wall develop right in the middle of the living area. Not even a year and this!
Even before i could react any further my very hardworking two year old turned around to give me a triumphant smile and a proud declaration of her work-of-art.
Too infectious to stop me from reacting as my gaze alternated between a glare and suppressed laughter.
Toddlers love to play with pen, pencils and crayons and any clean surface seems like an invitation to them to come and write.
Since that episode however i have talked to my little one and after one stray incident she has not repeated it, to make her explore her writing talent i have provided her with drawing books, slate and notepads.
But the writing on the wall remains and is a reminder of a naughty afternoon spent by my kid exploring the wall.
Ah! childhood it is bliss and freedom and every time i have managed to mess out my day, it serves as a gentle reminder that life need not be taken so seriously, nothing's perfect.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Friday, July 1, 2011
Of Doctors and a Husband
Parenting twins can be quite a task, as all would agree. More so when they are sick, down and out. The days and nights seems like a blurry vision as one merges into another. Well to begin with if one is affected the other too goes down shortly, just like the Titanic (couldn't help comparing).
Then the husband and doctor enters the scene to salvage the situation. The husband and the doctor does not see eye-to-eye on most issues, caught in this debate is poor mom and of course the suffering kids. Well the debate , as you might wonder, can be from whether or not to go to the long time pediatrician, try new ones, who in other words agree to the husband's views on medication, never mind he is not a doctor himself. So there awaits a trip to some sleepy doctor (that was my perception), who listened patiently and then gave some medicines which refused to work.
Finally mom won and so the kids, mom and husband planted themselves in front of the long time pediatrician. Doctor does a routine and then prescribes some medicines. Husband on the defense does not agree. The extremely optimistic part to this is of course the mom, who just refuses to participate in this fruitless exercise and does as she please (smug smile in place!) and that is listen to the long time pediatrician.
The long time doctor wins hands down as her medications show some improvement while the husband shifts the kudos entirely to the antibiotics administered. Who prescribed them in the first place?
FYI the husband is a doting dad and is generally cautious when it comes to his apples of his eyes. Hence the situation is replayed each time the pudding pies fall sick.
Then the husband and doctor enters the scene to salvage the situation. The husband and the doctor does not see eye-to-eye on most issues, caught in this debate is poor mom and of course the suffering kids. Well the debate , as you might wonder, can be from whether or not to go to the long time pediatrician, try new ones, who in other words agree to the husband's views on medication, never mind he is not a doctor himself. So there awaits a trip to some sleepy doctor (that was my perception), who listened patiently and then gave some medicines which refused to work.
Finally mom won and so the kids, mom and husband planted themselves in front of the long time pediatrician. Doctor does a routine and then prescribes some medicines. Husband on the defense does not agree. The extremely optimistic part to this is of course the mom, who just refuses to participate in this fruitless exercise and does as she please (smug smile in place!) and that is listen to the long time pediatrician.
The long time doctor wins hands down as her medications show some improvement while the husband shifts the kudos entirely to the antibiotics administered. Who prescribed them in the first place?
FYI the husband is a doting dad and is generally cautious when it comes to his apples of his eyes. Hence the situation is replayed each time the pudding pies fall sick.
Monday, June 27, 2011
A Week After
It seems getting your child schooled is one of the toughest jobs in hand. The terrible twos prevail and refuses to attend that place, a look of terror in the eyes, filling with water even at the slightest mention of 'school'. A more assertive form of protest is screaming at the top of their lungs, letting the whole neighborhood know 'the torture mom makes me endure'.
Well the verdict is after a week of rigorous schooling, my girls are sick. One down with pharyngitis and the other bordering on the brink. A quick trip to the doc made us aware that these kind of infections do happen and slowly the child gets immuned, developing a more resilient physical form.
Apart from the apparent discomfort, there are emotional ones, for starters they refuse to leave the house, afraid of being whisked away to the place called 'school' and wherein resides 'teacher-auntie'. A whole lot of networking with moms-in-similar- stages revealed that this is quite a normal phenomenon.
Normal or abnormal i don't know, the practical fact is a whole lot of money, our hard-earned money looks like being flushed down the toilet.
So the question is are we pushing our kids too hard?
They are stressed out and most unwilling..........
Will they adjust and go willingly, happily if we wait till they are more than 3 years old?
Only time will tell i guess, but parents of 3 year olds too complain of the same behavior pattern. Looking back at my childhood days.....not that i have a huge memory of me being a 3 year old.....i still have some and i do remember being so happy to go and play in school! What happened with this generation?
Fancy schools, fancy premises are no substitute for attentive teachers, kind and capable. But how are we to gauge teachers?
As of now my babies are sick, unwilling and emotionally disturbed, the 'school' does not inspire enough confidence in me to start sending my children there again.
I want them to be happy and laughing as all parents would.
The west has a concept of 'home-schooling' i kind of now appreciate that, since it gives my child an emotional security and a general sense of well-being. Some might argue about the 'social' aspect, well living in one of the concrete jungles do have an advantage and i can kind of weave that in.
All these are thoughts and more thoughts!
School we need to wait and watch.
Well the verdict is after a week of rigorous schooling, my girls are sick. One down with pharyngitis and the other bordering on the brink. A quick trip to the doc made us aware that these kind of infections do happen and slowly the child gets immuned, developing a more resilient physical form.
Apart from the apparent discomfort, there are emotional ones, for starters they refuse to leave the house, afraid of being whisked away to the place called 'school' and wherein resides 'teacher-auntie'. A whole lot of networking with moms-in-similar- stages revealed that this is quite a normal phenomenon.
Normal or abnormal i don't know, the practical fact is a whole lot of money, our hard-earned money looks like being flushed down the toilet.
So the question is are we pushing our kids too hard?
They are stressed out and most unwilling..........
Will they adjust and go willingly, happily if we wait till they are more than 3 years old?
Only time will tell i guess, but parents of 3 year olds too complain of the same behavior pattern. Looking back at my childhood days.....not that i have a huge memory of me being a 3 year old.....i still have some and i do remember being so happy to go and play in school! What happened with this generation?
Fancy schools, fancy premises are no substitute for attentive teachers, kind and capable. But how are we to gauge teachers?
As of now my babies are sick, unwilling and emotionally disturbed, the 'school' does not inspire enough confidence in me to start sending my children there again.
I want them to be happy and laughing as all parents would.
The west has a concept of 'home-schooling' i kind of now appreciate that, since it gives my child an emotional security and a general sense of well-being. Some might argue about the 'social' aspect, well living in one of the concrete jungles do have an advantage and i can kind of weave that in.
All these are thoughts and more thoughts!
School we need to wait and watch.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Silent night, holy night
I need to write something! Its quite late in the night, soft snores in the air as my child sleeps on, a baby's sleep unmindful of the world, getting up to a new tomorrow.
That time of the day when my world is at peace and my mind is on an over drive. I need to write, i need to read, complete odd jobs around the house and most importantly catch up on some sleep.
A soft cry and a happy laugh emanates from the cot, my child is having her share of dreams, that magical world wherein lives our childhood. I pause to smile and feel a wave of love towards that little being struggling to understand her world.
Some more mumbles and a cry, i do have to get up to pat her back to the peaceful slumber she needs, memories of the day floods her dream world as she passes through the restless phase.
Quiet world, peaceful night, as the curtain drops for the moment.
Tomorrow is a new day which comes with its share of happy laughter and trials and tribulations and who knows what else.Today is perfect, as my child sleeps on , a comforting picture, a snapshot of innocence and i am at peace, today there is nothing wrong with the world.
That time of the day when my world is at peace and my mind is on an over drive. I need to write, i need to read, complete odd jobs around the house and most importantly catch up on some sleep.
A soft cry and a happy laugh emanates from the cot, my child is having her share of dreams, that magical world wherein lives our childhood. I pause to smile and feel a wave of love towards that little being struggling to understand her world.
Some more mumbles and a cry, i do have to get up to pat her back to the peaceful slumber she needs, memories of the day floods her dream world as she passes through the restless phase.
Quiet world, peaceful night, as the curtain drops for the moment.
Tomorrow is a new day which comes with its share of happy laughter and trials and tribulations and who knows what else.Today is perfect, as my child sleeps on , a comforting picture, a snapshot of innocence and i am at peace, today there is nothing wrong with the world.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
First day, first show
No this is not a review on some movie, but a post on the experiences of a mom sending her kid to the pre- school and her experiences on the first day.
The day before moi (the mom) was nervous as hell, as if i was sitting for some major exams, nerves fraught with tension and actually a part of me unwilling to let go of them even for a second.
The D-day dawned and i was awake like even before the sun was shining, quickly going through my chores so that i am ready to accompany my kids to their first school.
Bags packed, snack boxes filled and water bottles ready, checked the handbook like the umpteenth time to ensure i left out nothing.
Finally my dolls woke up and i chatted on nonstop about school, teachers, friends, toys and God-knows-what!
They instantly latched on, finished their morning breakfast quickly and got dressed for school. Papa was all ready and so all four of us finally reached school.
School gates were like a screaming, crying, hollering riot......of kids of all shape and sizes and parents too!
Flustered parents trying to soothe their little ones, while the little ones clung on to them for life!
My girls too joined the group and soon i donned the role of a parent, smothering them with kisses and calming them down.
The teacher came to take them and had to literally yank them away from me, more screams, big fat tears and crying followed.
We had to wait outside in the play area as parents were not allowed in.
Hardly 5 minutes and my girls promptly marched out shrieking followed by the ayah who said 'let them be with you for some time'.
Some time.....school first day was only for one hour and this crying session already has lasted for 20 minutes.
Some more kisses and caresses and sweet talks later, my girls simply refused to enter the premises.........10 minutes gone.
Swings, slides and rocking horse followed to get them into the right spirit.........still a refusal and 10 more minutes gone.
Finally a promised game of peek-a-boo inside the premises made one of my girls enter the school, she was promptly whisked away inside. Crying again.
The other one still reluctant, clutching onto papa for life!
Some 5 minutes later she too somehow was cajoled inside, screaming away.
Inside my girls lasted for 10 minutes, school bell rang and out they came ....straight face.
All good till they spotted mom and burst out, another round of crying and big fat tears followed.
Day one done.........already refuses to attend school on day 2........'auntie shut us inside and closed the door'....was the answer.
each step onwards seems like an uphill task.
More on day 2 shortly coming up!
The day before moi (the mom) was nervous as hell, as if i was sitting for some major exams, nerves fraught with tension and actually a part of me unwilling to let go of them even for a second.
The D-day dawned and i was awake like even before the sun was shining, quickly going through my chores so that i am ready to accompany my kids to their first school.
Bags packed, snack boxes filled and water bottles ready, checked the handbook like the umpteenth time to ensure i left out nothing.
Finally my dolls woke up and i chatted on nonstop about school, teachers, friends, toys and God-knows-what!
They instantly latched on, finished their morning breakfast quickly and got dressed for school. Papa was all ready and so all four of us finally reached school.
School gates were like a screaming, crying, hollering riot......of kids of all shape and sizes and parents too!
Flustered parents trying to soothe their little ones, while the little ones clung on to them for life!
My girls too joined the group and soon i donned the role of a parent, smothering them with kisses and calming them down.
The teacher came to take them and had to literally yank them away from me, more screams, big fat tears and crying followed.
We had to wait outside in the play area as parents were not allowed in.
Hardly 5 minutes and my girls promptly marched out shrieking followed by the ayah who said 'let them be with you for some time'.
Some time.....school first day was only for one hour and this crying session already has lasted for 20 minutes.
Some more kisses and caresses and sweet talks later, my girls simply refused to enter the premises.........10 minutes gone.
Swings, slides and rocking horse followed to get them into the right spirit.........still a refusal and 10 more minutes gone.
Finally a promised game of peek-a-boo inside the premises made one of my girls enter the school, she was promptly whisked away inside. Crying again.
The other one still reluctant, clutching onto papa for life!
Some 5 minutes later she too somehow was cajoled inside, screaming away.
Inside my girls lasted for 10 minutes, school bell rang and out they came ....straight face.
All good till they spotted mom and burst out, another round of crying and big fat tears followed.
Day one done.........already refuses to attend school on day 2........'auntie shut us inside and closed the door'....was the answer.
More on day 2 shortly coming up!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Head over heart
A mother of two kids and a very active one at that. On a Sunday evening blogging away my thoughts , feeling lonely, sad and missing my pumpkin pies. No, even before you start getting ideas, they have not deserted me, it was me, the tired me, the stressed out me, the wanted-some-free-time me demanded them to be taken away for their weekly joyride in their PAPA’s car.
“Mamma coooommmee!” made me even more forcefully opt out of this weekly ritual, i was adamant needed my space, needed to think, needed to rest (my mind said).
Not even 5 minutes gone and here i am cribbing and writing my woes away. Sigh! Motherhood! Can’t even enjoy free-time peacefully. Babies can’t wait to listen to your non-stop chattering again!
Now whoever said listen to your heart rather than your mind is a great man or a mom!
“Mamma coooommmee!” made me even more forcefully opt out of this weekly ritual, i was adamant needed my space, needed to think, needed to rest (my mind said).
Not even 5 minutes gone and here i am cribbing and writing my woes away. Sigh! Motherhood! Can’t even enjoy free-time peacefully. Babies can’t wait to listen to your non-stop chattering again!
Now whoever said listen to your heart rather than your mind is a great man or a mom!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)