Today is definitely not my day (or should I say my son's day?). I went to pick my son from school and the teacher told that he wastes snacks served. She said, "He thinks that it is a must to eat all the items in his snacks box. So he bites everything, but couldn't finish. We tried to tell him that instead of biting and wasting, he can leave the packet unopened and untouched, but he is not able to understand. So try to explain him in your own language".
My son is not familiar with English yet, so sometimes he cannot understand the teacher's instruction. So, they seek my help to convey messages to him. Today, teaching him "Not to waste his snacks" was my homework. So, when we started walking out of his school, I started my preaching which continued for 20 mins (I was not scolding or forcing. But in a casual way I tried to say that he don't need to take the snacks if not wanted and should not waste food items). He was so quite listening. Finally I asked "What did amma told you so far?" and the little rascal asked me back "oh amma did you say anything? No you were not saying anything". I was shocked and said "I should give you nicely". He smiled and said "OK". So when I pretended as if going to pull his ears, he said "amma amma, you asked me not to waste snacks, ok, ok?".
Man, 3.3 years is certainly not an age to make such a fun, isn't it? OK, the real show started later. He asked for a banana when I entered a shop to buy a tamil magazine. Later when we got into the tram, he peeled the banana and started eating. After half done, he said don't want it. I started the preaching again. "This is what amma said so far. You should not waste your food items. Else Kutti Krishnan (which means baby Krishnan - his favorite GOD) will not like you and won't talk to you". There started my trouble.
He slowly turned left and right and asked me, "Where is he here in this tram? He is in the temple (Guruvayoor he tried to mean). He is not in this tram and so he won't know that I wasted this". Really I felt astonished with his thinking. I replied him "No monu, GOD is everywhere. He hides and watches you all the time". The quick reply was "I didn't see him in the shop where we bought the banana. If he hides there, that shop uncle will catch him and give to police". OK, now I am holding the hand bar in the tram strongly, not to faint. Because, it was me, once told him that the shop uncle will hand over the mischevious kids to police if they run or hide in the shop, when he and his friend tried to play "Hide and Seek" in that same shop. Now I should be more careful in replying. So I said, "GOD travels above in the sky and watches". GOD, you tested me again with a question from him "No, I saw only smokes (clouds) when we fly in the flight and I didn't see GOD". Times Up. Need a break. So I changed the topic from GOD to muscle.
Monu loves his dad's arms with muscles (as he do exercises regularly) and always says that he is a big boy and he too is getting muscles. So whenever he makes fuss to eat, I used to tell "OK then you won't get muscles like your dad" and he finishes the food. So I took that concept and said "If you don't eat the banana fully, you won't get muscles". But he was not ready to come out of the GOD topic and so he asked "Amma, if I eat banana, then I will grow and get muscle. But kutti Krishnan is still small. Why?". OK, I understood. Today is definitely not my day. I know why this question came. When we went to Guruvayoor, we offered lots of bananas to the temple and when my son asked for a banana from that, we said it was for Kutti Krishnan and so will buy something else for him.
Now, he remembers that and wondered why kutti Krishnan is still kutti (small), though after having that whoelsome banana bunches. What should I tell? If I say, eating banana is not going to help kutti Krishnan to grow big, then the banana in his hand also will go to the bin. If I say kutti Krishnan have grown big, then he may ask for proofs. I was really mad and GOD felt "OK times up stupid gal" and gave me a phone call. I took the opportunity and started talking in the phone. Monu started staring out through the window and slowly biting the rest of the banana. He didn't continue his questions after the phone call. May be bored?
Now, I am holding my breath expecting the question session to start at any moment.
hahahaha...I can imagine ur face mythili.....ur monu is naughty nd intelligent like kutti krishna...
ReplyDeleteLOL! Such an intelligent boy :-) Btw, I think he realised Mommy doesn't know everything ;-) so he gave up LOL!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks gals. Pallavi, its absolutely true dear. Only when he questions, I realize how many things I have yet to learn :(
ReplyDeletegud one mythili. If u r interested to write in tamil in our web magazine www.moonramkonam.blogspot.com , pls contact me
ReplyDeleteNice one Mythili. Kids are always kids. We cannot make them to think in an adult way. I've got two little monsters, so i know your pain. But one thing you can teach them...the truth itself. I know you are not happy the way he is eating or wasting foods. Just tell him "Mummy is not happy or Daddy wont be happy" instead of GOD. Kids are more close to their parents than anyone(including GOD at this age). If you see he is not wasting food at any stage or any time, tell him "Mummy is SO happy today" and give him some kind of compliment or gift. You got to stress the point that you are happy when he is finishing the food without wasting it. But remember NOT to bribe him. (eg. If you are not wasting food today, I will give you this and that..that's bribe). Trust me, bribing may work for a while. But for a long term, NO it wont.
ReplyDeleteBTW In the kids point of view, they don't want you to use GOD as a weapon to correct them. I have tons of experience in that.
These views may differ adult to adult. All the best.
JP, thank you so much for the great information and ideas.
ReplyDeleteYes, I tried the Mom-Dad happiness in the beginning (not in the beginning of this story, but in some other matters), but he is least bothered. He always listens only when I tell about some one who is not next to us. For example, I use GOD or sometimes his grandma. She is in India. So, if I tell him that she won't come here to visit him or we won't take him to India to visit her, then he listens and that too won't work sometimes. So I keep changing my strategies often :)
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ReplyDeleteSoooo true, Changing strategies. Australian Govt released a website just for US. Its fantastic and they give realistic examples. It include videos. Just have a look. I learned LOT from that. You may like it.
ReplyDeletesite: www.raisingchildren.net.au
EDIT: Some kids may AFRAID of those "poochandi" until they find-out. Once they found out grandma is powerless, you know what will happen. More and more trouble and hatred amoung children against grandma or even against GOD. Sorry i deleted the previous post to say this.lol
Hahaha... Grandma is not a poochandi here... My son loves her like anything and will obey whatever we say, just to make sure we will take him to visit her :)
ReplyDeleteTure said, that if we keep forcing on one thing, kids will get bored and hatred towards it. Thanks for the link JP. Will check it.
Meetu, your son is smart and intelligent...just like you. But begin to say facts to him instead of saying fantasies. Maybe he will understand things better if you are true to him...
ReplyDelete