My daughter’s latest obsession is time. Anything to do with time, dates, days of the week, months, years, the whole deal.
I am not exaggerating when I tell you that she asks me the question “what is the time, mamma?” every 5 minutes. Either she has forgotten that she has already asked me or that it feels to her that a lot of time has passed since she last asked. My bet is on the latter assumption.
She wakes up this morning and tells me, “Oh mamma, it is afternoon. Why did you not wake me up in the morning?”
Me: No sweetheart. It is still morning.
Neha: what time is it?
Me: 10 o’ clock
Neha: 10 O’clock Morning or night?
Me: I told you already that it is morning. So it is 10 in the morning.
Neha: Ok. So what time can I go swimming today?
Me: Same as always. 7:30 in the evening?
Neha: Ok. What day is it today?
Me: (Wanting to scream already) Tuesday.
Neha: Tuesday pool is open. Only Monday it is closed. Right, mamma? Ok. Ok. Today is Tuesday. That means tomorrow is Wednesday and then Thursday. Yippee, Thursday is my birthday!
Me: (gulping) No baby. Your b’day is over. That was on April 23rd.
Neha: But mamma, you told me that my b’day is on Thursday.
Me: (mentally telling myself that I should look up on how to explain time to a five year old) No, baby. You see, April 23rd is over and now it is May. Now shall we go and brush?
Neha: Ok. So it is May. So it is January, February, April, May…..
Me: (It is just 10 in the morning and I feel tired already) That is not the right order.
Neha: Ok. Ok. I know. Let me start again. January…
I now have to wait around patiently till she gets the order right! And I am frantically thinking about how I can get her off the subject.
After brushing teeth, Neha asks me: “Mamma, what is the time?”
Now, this is the point where my eyes begin to roll.
The past two weeks, this question has been met with my eyes rolling in its sockets which really amuses Neha. Now I am beginning to think whether she really wants an answer or is she just waiting for my reaction.
These days, my favorite game is : Let’s see who can keep quiet for longer. There are no prizes for guessing who is the winner.
All I know is that it is vacation ‘time’. Yes, all moms of school going kids must be facing this crisis as I write. I am not really in favor of packing off my kid to some meaningless vacation class. There are summer classes for karate, too. Pray tell me, how is it possible to learn Karate in 30 days? Now I know why kids of today think that they can build a rocket in 5 minutes.
I have heard of kids complaining that their music teacher is asking them to play Do, Re, Me… too many times. And that they are ready to learn a song. This after two piano classes!! :D There is a school nearby offering to teach tennis to kids 5 years and above…The kids can barely lift the racket. :D And I know a 5 year-old who has handwriting classes for 2 hours everyday! This might be the kind of kid who will kill her folks and pen a suicide note in beautiful handwriting. :D
Come on people, just wait for them to grow up so that they can figure out what they are interested in. They will just balk at all your suggestions, otherwise.I do not mind signing my kid up for dance classes or story telling sessions, but I am yet to chance upon something good. Besides, she is just 5. There is time. Until then, I will be bombarded with what-is-the-time-questions!
13 comments:
LOL:-D......I just so identify with this.
U knw once Naina got a watch from MacDonalds for tht kiddy meal. It had a huge dial with hello kitty in it. She was so maha thrilled & wore it on her wrist immediately.
After tht for the next 2 hrs she announced the time loudly after every minute[we were in a mall].
When it became obvious she was not going to stop telling the time we told her say it quietly. She just didnt grasp why we wanted her quiet. She continued until we reached home.
I hid tht watch as soon as I got the opportunity;-/.
And u r so right.....just after 4 piano classes Nikita refused to go saying tht class is so boring they make me play the same tune over & over again;-S
Very true, signing up your kids for summer classes may happen later, when the child wants to do something with his / her friends - like the way my daughters have done now.
At 5 yrs, there is no need to rush up and make her a jack of all trades.
BTW, what's the time, yaar ? (Don't roll your eyes at me !)
LOL :)) What's the time now?
Ahh kids are very curious and they have so many questions all the time.... Its us who dont have the energy to answer them all
Kids now do not get to enjoy their childhood right, they are packed off from class to class and stuff even during vacations..
Oww she is soo sweet :D
LOL!
Adorable.
And Happy Mother's Day, Butterly :-)
What is the time, Bins? :))))
Nehu is smart and I can identity with everything you wrote here because I have a little one who chatters the whole day about same things. Time, Birthday parties, months, year, age..gosh! it never ends with these 5 year olds.
Oh my god! I wonder what will happen to my children. When I was small I was already impatient to learn the more complicated songs though I had not even practised the previous ones. Now that I am so old and cannot sing properly I wish I had practised more.
ohhh was it Mother's Day yesterday????
How come nobody tole me;-(?????
Reflections: I quickly looked it up. Mother's day is always the second sunday in may. So it is on May 10. Thank God. I thought I just missed some celebration and the chance to get a gift!
Aw aw such a sweet sweet post. There was this friend's son who would end everything with a question mark. And that happened from the moment he awoke to the moment he dozed off. And his mother is praying the schools open asap. LOL. I cannot identify with the issue completely (being a mother of a year old lab), but it sounds damn cute, if you ask me.
LOL !
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