When they speak - III

Communication

J- Mamma, can I ask you something?

I (little dreaded as such permission for asking leads to tough calls)-Yes, darling, go ahead.

J- This is something I am asking on behalf of me and my friends (neighborhood).

I (frightened now)-What’s the matter J?

J- Can you please open a bank account for me? Where we all can keep money?

I (Shocked but with calm voice)-Opening a bank account is a good idea. It is nice that you are thinking of saving. It will be better for me to know why you are thinking of bank account.

J (fall into the trap and opened up)-Actually we want to communicate more with each other.

(The story behind; J and her friends are learning about methods of communications at school. They have made a channel for communication by tying rope to a toy bucket with that they pass chits to each other. But this method is not working with friends from other buildings. So they were thinking of wireless options walkie-talkie or mobile phones(even better).

I-Humm, I understand now. Okay put on all the ideas you have for communication machines and then we (read parents) and you (kids) can sit together and work on it.

J- Okay, satisfied she gives a full swirl!

Mother’s night out

Encouraged (or frustrated) we (the ladies of the neighborhood) from meetings, discussions and group making of our children and husbands decided to form a group of our own and planned out our first ‘ladies night out’ on Saturday night. Men were okay but our kids (especially those between 6-8 years) gave a hard time accepting it. They got together and shouted ‘This is not fair’ against us. They demanded that we get something for them on return. They wanted to have their own time and a picnic as we were going to have fun on our own.

All these kids have stayed happily at home or day care when their mother gone out for work, work travels, shopping and so on. But they have seldom (or never) seen their mothers going out for a party at night. It was really hard to accept. Party is associated with their birthdays or Dad’s routine. Why on earth mother’s need to go party and that too without them-horrible this is.

We did not get time for us

They got together on Friday evening, enjoyed the beginning of weekend. On Saturday, they played in the morning. They had sports day in evening. Sunday morning went by cycling together. They passed notes, exchanged storybooks in between. In the evening they glued again, played, laughed and joked with each other. When parents called them to come home at late evening – “Aww, we never get enough time just for us” was the answer in chorus.