I think we can all agree that if there are fewer stories on Instagram than usual that automatically means that I’m either busy having so much fun that I don’t have the time or the energy to post anything, or that it’s been such a horrible day that I have absolutely no interest in posting about it. In most cases, it’s the latter, and that was true even for today. And how typical, right, for this to happen to me on Day 2? I almost said ‘screw it’ and was going to binge watch SATC or Criminal Minds but then, what would that say about me?
As for the ‘why’, the short answer is that I am on Day 6 of solo parenting, and yes, my husband is still very much in Mumbai. Tomorrow, will be Day 7, and the little bit of Madera I have left should help after 8 PM tomorrow.
But right now, we’re talking about today. Aside from being one of those days where I’m questioning every single decision I’ve taken since 2004, there was some upside to it. Number 1 being that I only yelled once today. I think. I am damn sure it wasn’t more than twice.
Of late, it seems like Laddoo has forgotten everything or is just being a toddler. Side note: Is an almost-three-year-old still called a toddler?
This was a child who used to pick her toys up after she was done, she used to feed herself (for most meals), and for almost two months since mid-January, we had managed to be TV-free for most of the day (her TV time was less than an hour a day.)
And then she has developed this new thing where she doesn’t mind stepping on things lying on the floor; things that she has put there and not picked up, but that’s another point altogether. And I particularly get annoyed when it’s books on the floor and she steps on them (she doesn’t walk on them, thankfully). So after telling her three times, nicely, that we don’t step on books – on anything, for that matter, but especially books – I had two choices. I could either yell some more, or I could talk to her about it.
So after her bath time, while I was combing her hair, when she poked me with her toes again, I explained to her that feet are meant for walking.
“Would you like it if I called you by poking my toes on your feet?” I asked her. I had to give her a light demo.
She shook her head: No.
“You didn’t like that, right? Then don’t you think you shouldn’t be doing that to others?” She seemed to be listening so I went on. Why stop at just poking, I thought.
“Our feet are only supposed to be used for walking. And kicking, but you can only kick balls (no pun intended, LOL). Outside the house,” I quickly added. “Right?”
“And running,” she said.
“Very good. And climbing too. What else?” I asked her.
“And sliding,” she said. She meant ‘going on the slide.’ When she pets the toy cat we have, she says she’s ‘softing’ the cat. Interestingly, she also says, ‘Mujhe play-na hai,’ instead of ‘khelna’ hai. LOL.
I was amazed. “But not for stepping on things, or kicking or poking people, humans, with your feet, okay?”
She nodded.
“So what all can we use our feet for?” I asked her.
“Walking, running, climbing, and sliding. Greeeeen-sliding.”
There’s a green slide in the play-area downstairs.
And then she did some crazy turning around and dancing thing when I asked her to pose for the camera, which was a good thing because look what gems I was able to click today. 🙂
June 7, 2019
Day 2 of 100. 99 days to go.
Being Mamma Bear 