kidspeak
Walking in Delhi in one of the coldest winters isn’t fun. But if you have an inquisitive five year old skipping next you on his first visit to the city, it can be interesting. We use the metro to visit a lot of places, with some short breaks. At times the little one was driving me mad, but at others he was being adorable. After being screamed at by me for some mischief, I ask him what he wants to do next. He hugs me in the middle of a crowded street and looks at me with weepy eyes and says, ”I don’t want you to scream, papa.” I am appalled at myself and gather my bearings. We proceed to the nearest metro to the hit the sack. Everything is quiet and calm in the train but for the consistent reminders about the platform gap. Out of the blue, the little one asks me why I got him to Delhi in the middle of the week and says he is missing school badly. I am stumped and remind him about all the good things we did on the four-day trip, but he would have none of it, “I am missing school” goes on. Later that evening, exhausted from the day’s activity, when I am trying to catch some sleep, the little one is fully active as if he never stepped out of home the whole day. Somewhere between consciousness and sleep I hear the words “whine” and get up. When I ask him to repeat what he said, I hear “Papa, looks I like should be whining to get what I want.” I kissed my sleep goodbye and gave him all my attention.
This was one of those trips where I spent all the time with the little one and got to know what he does in school bus and other stories. Sample this - parents had sent a cheque to school – it went to school and returned thrice, maybe the teacher forgot to collect or the ward forgot to remind the teacher. On the fourth day, since the parents couldn’t find the cheque they presumed that the school had collected it. On checking with the teachers, we found out that the cheque never reached their hands. Out came the story that transpired in the school bus.
Kid 1: what is that (in your school diary)?
Kid 2 (our little boy): a cheque
Kid 1: can we fold it and throw it?
Kid 2: I don’t know.
Kid 1: Nothing will happen to it if I throw it out of a window, but it will be fun.
Kid 2: Ok.
Kid 1 throws it out of the window and a vehicle goes over the cheque, nothing happened.
Kid 1: Didn’t I tell you nothing will happen, see nothing happened, it is still lying on the road.
Well nothing happened then but later it cost a little money to stop the cheque. Guess I learnt listening is very important when you are managing kids of that age. The more you listen, the more they speak irrespective of the fact that it could startle you.
We survived the cold of Delhi and got back to Bangalore which wasn’t warm either, but wet and cold at the same time.
This was one of those trips where I spent all the time with the little one and got to know what he does in school bus and other stories. Sample this - parents had sent a cheque to school – it went to school and returned thrice, maybe the teacher forgot to collect or the ward forgot to remind the teacher. On the fourth day, since the parents couldn’t find the cheque they presumed that the school had collected it. On checking with the teachers, we found out that the cheque never reached their hands. Out came the story that transpired in the school bus.
Kid 1: what is that (in your school diary)?
Kid 2 (our little boy): a cheque
Kid 1: can we fold it and throw it?
Kid 2: I don’t know.
Kid 1: Nothing will happen to it if I throw it out of a window, but it will be fun.
Kid 2: Ok.
Kid 1 throws it out of the window and a vehicle goes over the cheque, nothing happened.
Kid 1: Didn’t I tell you nothing will happen, see nothing happened, it is still lying on the road.
Well nothing happened then but later it cost a little money to stop the cheque. Guess I learnt listening is very important when you are managing kids of that age. The more you listen, the more they speak irrespective of the fact that it could startle you.
We survived the cold of Delhi and got back to Bangalore which wasn’t warm either, but wet and cold at the same time.
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