I am a bad mom, are you?

Ask my sons between mom or dad who is good or bad?

And within a fraction of a second they will tell you it’s their mom who is BAD :(!

Earlier I used to be hurt. I would get even mad at them and make them sit and understand how I am a good mom. Poor me. 😦

As if they want to know that from ME ! Don’t they have their own judgement?

Now its been a couple of years now since I have given up on making them register that I am a good mom, like their good papa !

But occasionally I itch to find out if any small feeling towards me has changed. 🙂 So, I asked my sons again the same question but in a different way. ( MBA degree has not gone waste :)) And this was while watching the movie “Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic” just after the parents of the four kids pass away in the movie.

First I asked my elder son, making sure the younger one was not around.
I asked him ” What if something like this happened to me, would you like it?”
My elder one is very sensitive and hugged me instantly. Then without looking at me he , ” Thank God papa will be there. But mumma I will not like it without you!” 😦 🙂 Well I was sad and happy.

Then I called my younger son. I asked him the same question.
He said with a big smile, ” Bad mummas should !”.
I asked him why does he think that I am a bad mom.
“Because you scold me, you make me eat food, you put soap on my head, you make me sleep early, you shout when I shout and you love bhaiya more than me ” … Phew !!!

Well this was asking for more than I was prepared ! Meanwhile my elder son had entered into the room again. He said ” If mumma doesn’t scold us, we will become bad boys. And then other people will scold us and hit us when we are alone. And when we grow up like papa, no one will talk to us.” 🙂 Now I bless my son for understanding my role so well.

I really do not know how much was my younger one satisfied by this answer, but he just left to play.
As usual I started looking for him after 8:00 pm in my society. All the watchmen I asked, said he was nowhere to be seen for quite some time! My heart sank !…read more …

Teaching Religion to 4-6 year old !!!!!

My son today wanted to know what is the meaning of St Mary’s; it’s the name of his school.
Here is how our conversation went, till both of us were satisfied.

“Mumma ! What is the meaning of St Mary’s? “

” Well, it’s the name of the mother of Jesus Christ.
Do you know about him?”

” No”.

“Hmm”.

” Ok what is our surname?”

“Singh”

“You have 48 kids in your class, and each has a different surname, right? “

” No, mom, there are three singhs”

“Ok, so you have 45 other surnames and 3 singhs” ” Now do they all live in one house?”

“No”

” Ok now where do you and all your friends live”

” In houses in Pune.”

“Right. And where do dada dadi, nana nani live”

“Delhi”

“Right. We who live in Pune are called Puneites, those who live in Delhi are called Delhites. But is there any difference in any one living in Pune or in Delhi?”

“No”

” Now when we all, Nana, Nani, Mumma, Papa go to Mama’s house in US, we are all called Indians. But Mamas, Mamies, Kriti, Siya and Sanaa are called Americans, because they live in America.”

” Yes”

“Is there any difference in any one who lives in India or America?”

“No”

“Do you know we are Hindus?”

“No”

“Hmm, tell me whose pooja do we do?”

“My friend Ganesha, bal Hanuman, Ghatotkach, Krishna and Ram.”

” And have you seen whose pooja Janak does?”

“Sardar uncle’s.”

” Ok yes, he is Guru Gobind Singh, and so Janak is a Sikh.”

” Whose pooja Aimaan does?”

” I dunno”

” He does pooja of Allah and is a Muslim.”

” Who is Irene aunty’s God ?”

“I don’t know”

“Her god is Jesus Christ, and she is a Christian.”

“Ok!”

“Is there any difference you see in Aimaan, Janak, Irene aunty, and yourself?”

“No and Yes !”

“Is it? Tell me how?”

” No because they all are living things and look same. Yes because we all do pooja of different God’s”.

“So, does that make anything different in any way?”

“No, then what is the use of different religion and god?”

“Like you ask mumma and papa for everything and do what we tell you mostly, same way different gods and religion tell what to do and how to do. Nothing much.”

“Ok”

” Now do you know what is Jesus Christ’s mumma’s name?”

“No”

” Her name is Mary. And because her son is a God to all Christians, she is called St Mary. And your school is
named after her as St Mary’s School. Got it?”

“Yes got it.” But what is Alien’s god called and what are they, hindu or christian? And mumma are Transformers god?”

My Kids and food !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My babies made my day yesterday. I normally have to sit one hour for each meal with both the kiddos every day. There are days when I am sitting patiently, telling them stories or they telling me stories. There are days when I am screaming like a witch at them, especially when there is vegetarian food on the menu.

My kids think food means chicken, mutton, fish, prawns or eggs.  Paneer is also acceptable by the young HHs. The days I make veggies only, I have to make sure I have no meeting lined up, no workshop to attend or take and definitely no calls. I am shouting screaming threatening for an hour ! At the end I do manage to make them eat what I wish but at the cost of their lov for me and my guilt towards them !

But today was different.

My friend Arun, forwarded a mail to me. I had tears in my eyes watching a kid eat from the garbage ! There was another picture of a kid drinking water along with a dog from the same puddle !

I thought of making a positive impact and use of this mail by telling a story .  So once we were back from school, my kids one 5 yr old another 3.5 yr were too eager to hear and see the picture of the boy who did not eat food ! And the kid who threw food and wasted water.

After watching the powerpoint presentation, I could see my kids watching seriously, with their expression changing. They felt sad and my elder one was convinced that no one should throw food or water, and that he will not trouble his mom any longer. I don’t know how long it will last.

At the dinner time, I was hoping to see the effect of the mail on my kids eating habit and change .

My elder son ate his food with one coaxing. I was mighty pleased and glad that the expectant result was seen.

But I was not prepared for the effect on my younger kid !

He ate a bite and threw away the whole food into the dustbin !  Shocked and angry, I was upset that my younger son was so not sensitive ! Anyways, I had to question him and make him understand the effect of bad deed done by him. So I called him and made him sit with me. We call this type of sessions as “Talk Time”, where they have to talk out their problems and anything in their minds, without me judging them! 

So I asked him the reason for his throwing away the food into the garbage bin! He answered, ” Mumma ! I threw away all the food, so that read more….