These days it is quite impossible to get Eri to do anything. Given my current state of mind, every non- issue is converted into an issue that possibly requires some amount of firefighting. A simple thing such as ‘Eat your greens’ invites an angry twitch from my 7-year-old. Catering to a newborn with a 7-year-old in tow has now become a gargantuan task.
So last evening, when I asked her to try out a new dish, she pushed my hand aside and said ‘Ma, please don’t force me’. Just as I was about to get into my preachy mode of how children in Africa are deprived of food and so on, something within me kept shrieking ‘it is 8:00 in the evening and you are now talking to a tired, sleepy and a cranky 7-year-old who if pushed to the edge might simply throw a tantrum that I might not be able to handle, especially when my 2.5 month old baby is catnapping’.
So I decided to do it my mom’s way, I pulled out a chair and sat beside her and narrated something about trying out things before saying a ‘No’. Deep down, I knew that this is one area that I need to work on more than anybody, but I had to get her to listen. And so I told her, “
You know Eri, when I was seven years old, my dad took us to a park for an outing. We made this trip with my uncle’s family. We kids were immersed in our play when we heard my mom calling out our names
waving out a huge pink cotton ball. Seeing this flashy pink colour, I ran towards her and asked her what it was. She pulled out a small ball and tried feeding me the cotton candy. I took one look at the cottony mess and told her that I did not want to eat pink cotton. She tried persuading me to eat it, but I refused to listen. Taking a cue from me my younger cousin also decided to follow suit and almost spat out the cotton candy which her mom managed to feed her. My dad, an absolute taskmaster was a mute witness to our conversation. He told us to try out the cotton ball as it was sweet. But all of us refused. He told us one thing very firmly that none of us would get any goodies later even if we were hungry. I knew my dad meant business, but a seven year immersed in play couldn’t care less.
After we finished our play, we slowly began to realize that our tummies were growling. I went to my mom and told her that I was hungry. My mom pulled out the cotton candy, which was now only a tiny ball and coaxed me to try it. With no energy left, I decided to try it out. I popped the ball into my mouth only to realize that this stuff tastes divine. Now that I knew how it tasted, I so badly wanted my dad to buy me one. But dad being ‘my’ dad, very sternly replied ‘I asked you three times to try it out and all three times you refused. Now, the only thing you get is your dinner’. I never dared to question my dad. I knew that he wouldn’t give in. On our way back home that evening, all I could think of was the wonderful cotton candy that I refused to try out. If only I knew that the cottony mess tasted divine, I would probably be the happiest child. Looking at my sunken face, my dad taught me the very first lesson that till date I find hard to digest. He said to a very hungry, sleepy and a cranky 7-year-old kid, “Never say no before you try anything. You never know what’s in store for you, give it a shot”.
And yes, Eri hugged me snug after her dinner last night and told me that she would first try things out before she decides to say a big ‘no’. This brings to mind another topic about ‘choices’. Now this requires some reading and skill. So until next time, I will keep trying the ‘Try Me’ shot :D.
