Why didn't you come with a manual?

R,

You are really growing up to be a fine kid on most counts. I do thank my stars for it and sometimes give myself a pat on the back too. After all, maybe I'm also doing my bit. However, being a mother, I do have my worries and concerns about certain aspects and thought I'd share it with you here.

Remember, I had this concern even earlier that you could not hold your interest on topics that dealt with relationships? I do worry that you are growing up to be a nerd because while you can rattle off the names of the car models and species of the animal and bird kingdom like they were family, you do struggle to get who's who in the family right.

You can play all by yourself, building blocks, racing cars or doodling whales, dinosaurs, aeroplanes and fishes. But, I have never seen you doodle a flower or even a house. You like playing with your friends but don't throw a fit when called to go home. It's like you are attached yet detached. Should it worry me? I'm not too sure.

I kept you away from the television and thereby cartoon viewing for a very long time. Not sure if this is the reason, but you get bored of watching cartoon after a while. You prefer to watch Animal planet or Nat Geo on television. While I'm proud of you for this, I also worry that you may never be able to talk excitedly about your favourite cartoon characters with your friends and might be considered a misfit.

It's a similar story with other gadgets; you have never played a video game on the phone till date. You have no clue about the temple runs, angry birds or candy crushes. Again, should I worry? Are there any benefits of playing games on the phone??

You've become a little self-conscious and do not assert yourself when in company of people who you think know more than you. This is definitely a concern because I want you to go out and mingle as much as possible and just let your hair down without caring a damn about how you sound or look.

I'd like you to have diverse interests and not be limited to only gadgets, vehicles and animals. I wonder if I'm not providing you with the right environment that makes you take interest in other subjects or if this is your innate nature.

Phew! whoever said parenting is easy? It's an overwhelming exercise always mired in self-doubt, at least for me. Wish you had come with a manual.

google.com



12 comments:

  1. Parenting isn't easy. There isn't a day that has went by since the birth of my kids that I haven't wished for an instruction manual. Everything I learned with my daughter became null and void as soon as my son joined the family. He is completely different than the way she was...and a complete mystery at most times! So even though he is 9, I still wish the kid came with a manual!! LOL

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    1. LOL..yes, siblings can be so different that you might wonder how they got born in the same household. I'm very different from my sister in so many ways..marvel at how my parents managed! Thanks so much for reading and your lovely comment, Kathy :-)

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  2. R is doing great, Uma! Trust me! Nerds are good :) Ads too hardly plays any games on the phone/ipad, and totally skipped the cartoon phase except for a 6 month craze for Ben 10 in 2010. Today he's just a normal kids who's into cricket attax, cricket and hating school :) But yes, it would be so good if they came with a manual :)

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    1. Thanks a lot for the assurance, Aparna. I knew you'd understand since I do see streaks of Ads in R :-)

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  3. Dear R

    Is your Amma kidding!!! Here is a boy who is just near perfection and she is worried about you..gah!

    you go boy! You have an aunt in Bombay who is super proud of you and go rattle off those names of animals and planets...Cartoons are boring anyways!

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    1. LOL, RM..I'm proud too but you know mothers can never rest assured and these are more of passing niggling doubts rather than persisting serious worries, I'd say :-)))) On a side note, let me tell you, this applies to you too! One weird mom telling another..gah! ;-)

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  4. Ahh I guess you have shown some of a parent's concerns...It's really not easy , is it? But in all that you have written I think you have got a great son!

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    1. It definitely isn't easy and thanks for saying that, Naba! :-)

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  5. The expectations of a young mother for her son, are very natural. Your son is special. At a young age he is not glued to cartoons and the like, is something to be proud of.

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    1. True, Ushaji and for that I'm truly proud..thank you, Ushaji for your experienced words :-)

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  6. If only it was that easy! I personally feel R has his own way of treating things and establishing interests. All kids do. So while you can encourage and guide him to mingle more with other kids and family, I don't see a drawback in him not wanting to do much with gadgets. It will catch on when it has to, and when it does, it doesn't go away that easily. So I would say, let him enjoy his childhood gadget free as much as he likes. :)

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    1. Oh, it's we who have kept him away from all the gadgets and we are definitely proud that he hasn't succumbed to the vice..it's just that there are multiple aspects to parenting and as a mother it is difficult to look at situations in black or white :-)

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