Mother India

Day 1

A: I have class early in the morning tomorrow. Wake me up at 5.30.

Me: ( complaining) Oh God! That means I need to get up at 5.15. I thought I would laze around esp after the long week of work that I had gone through.

A: No way. You are my mom. You need to sacrifice.......for your daughter’s benefit!

Day 2

A: (with tears in her large wide eyes) I just don’t understand this. How am going to work out all this that needs to get done?

Me: Never mind. We can just plan it out.

So we sit and plan out all tasks into a timetable. Now she is happy and all set to go.

Day 25 ( am skipping the rest..but we tackle each day as it comes)

A: You really know how to sort out what I am thinking.....how

Me: Ah yes! I am Mother India!

Mindbender: The year is highly demanding and yes, we need to give all the support. A decade and a half old and we expect these kids to manage time tables, study, revise, give exams and then perform well. A little bit of moral and emotional support can a go long way in helping these kids tackle the dreaded boards.

PAT A CAKE

 Me: There is a baking camp for two days. Would you like to go?

A:  WOWOWO... when? Where? How many days?

Me: The camp is on Tuesday and Wednesday. It is from 1 30 p.m to 6 p.m

A: Then forget it!

Me: Why? What's wrong?

A: You forget I have my tuition classes. AND if your remember they begin at 1. The teachers won’t allow me to bunk

Me ( thinking): Who bunks with permission!

Me ( aloud): Do you want to go to the camp?

A:Of course! But you speak to my teachers. If they allow then I will go.

So here I go again! The tuition teachers rule my life now! I muster up the courage to call up the teachers. Am sure World War soldiers didn’t have to do so much preparation!

And the deluge begins .......

‘See, I won’t repeat the portion’.

‘She will have to cover it up on her own’

‘I won’t give guarantee for that topic!’(Was the topic a fridge?)

Anyway, even with all these warnings I decide to go ahead.

So A is enrolled, she bakes her cakes, enjoys the two day camp and is actually recharged to take on her grade ten studies with vigour.

And yes, I did have to ensure she finished the topics, I had to take guarantee for that topic and the teacher is still refusing to do that topic for her. 

Mind bender:  The mind is charged and fuelled with energy when you do something you love. Don’t we like to take a break once in a while to recharge? What then gives us the idea that our kids have inexhaustible resources, they can study nonstop? What makes us conclude that a day or two of distraction will cause destruction?