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Who 's the Mean Kid, really?

Flown turbulent skies and bumpy air clouds?

That's how the past couple of weeks have been like for me while dealing with my five year old Adi. Still, I've got to admit that I love every moment that I spend with my son. It's like going through a roller coaster ride because temperamentally, we are opposites. He is fiery and I am serene. He is stubborn and I give in easily. He is very unpredictable and well, i am not....i could go on actually.....but you got what I am saying, right?

Well, in the last two weeks, Adi and I - this is a mom's hunch of course - have become a lot more closer than before. He seems to intuitively understand my thoughts and feelings. He accompanies me when I go for my evening walks. That is a fantastic time when he tells me his little secrets and I tell him mine. We have these 'adult to adult' conversation and I really feel that it brings us closer when I stop treating him like a kid. 

Today, he was running after and calling one kid, repeatedly. This kid stays on the ground floor and has a habit of ignoring Adi whenever Adi calls him. This has been irritating me for a while and I just let it go. But this evening, Adi went rushing after him calling him and this little guy didnt even look in his direction and totally ignored him. I felt angry because he has been doing this to Adi several times.

Just after Adi and I came back home, this little guy comes home and calls Adi. A delighted Adi runs off to play with him.

When Adi came back and told me he had had a great time, I said, "What kind of a friend do you have? He doesnt even acknowledge you whenever you call him and now when he wants, he calls you. He is a mean friend. I don't want you to be friends with such kids. He is mean and selfish and rude."

Adi looks at me and says very firmly, "Amma, you can't talk about my friend like that, ok?He is my friend and you should not say that about my friend."

Something in his voice stopped me in my tracks. I thought to myself - why ami nagging my son for something so silly? I was behaving like a mean kid! Adi, on the other hand, was handling it with more maturity. 

That moment, I told Adi, "Look, I am sorry. I didnt like your friend but you are right. I shouldnt say bad things to you about your friend. Sorry."

Adi was happy. I had got his point. Sometimes, we see our mistakes too late. I don't want that to happen with me. If I make mistakes, I want to be aware of it so that I don't repeat them again.

Comments

Anupama K. Mazumder said…
Very cute narration.. and its so lovely as a child grows.

I have a friend for whom I would die, but he wouldn't bother to check my well being. I wonder why, look for justifications myself, but wouldnt hear a wrong word about him ever.

Adi has realized this at such a tender age.
May 25, 2011 at 2:10 AM
R's Mom said…
Wow Adi has the mind of a 50 year old in a 5 year body..please hug him and tell him that his 29 year old aunty donest have so much maturity...btw you are tagged check my blog post on mommyhood lessons
May 25, 2011 at 12:34 PM
Swapna Raghu Sanand said…
@Anupama Thanks! It's understandable --- your feelings about your friend as long as it doesn't stop you from being happy and doing what you want to do.

R's Mom - Thanks a ton. Will be thinking seriously about what to write as mommyhood lessons!
May 26, 2011 at 11:02 PM
R. Ramesh said…
poor anupama..dont worry friend..v r there with u..:) good one this.
May 26, 2011 at 11:07 PM
Harish P I said…
I think kids are more matured and just than us by default. may be its us spoiling them.
May 27, 2011 at 11:41 AM
Swapna Raghu Sanand said…
@Harish - Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Guess its a combination of several factors, including what you've just said. Hope to have you back on this blog soon.
May 30, 2011 at 3:52 AM
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