So the brat has become a big girl now…going to nursery and all that…
I took TWO days off at work so that I can accompany her for the orientation…
She refused to let us photograph her…both FIL and I tried all tactics but she just refused to pose..mera photo mat lo and all that!
R and I took the BEST bus to her school and we walked a bit and reached early as usual!
So the deal is like this..I put her onto the bus from the daycare and the daycare teachers pick her up in the afternoon! So we rode back in the school bus in the afternoon today..and I could take a train and come half day to work as well.
some observations
1. 35 students in her class..her class teacher looks too sweet to handle so many kids
2. Girls are as naughty as boys…R was the first to pick up a toy horse and start riding it (we had to wait for about 25 minutes in the class and she did sure get bored..I tried to stop her twice but after that I just let her be..as usual parents were late!) other boys followed after her..and she fell down with her head down and I was behind a table and couldnt even pick her up..otherwise I would have hurt another kid!..and guess what I got judged with one mom telling another in gujju on what a sad mom I was 😦
3. R is definitely my daughter..she cant think anything if she is hungry..unfortunately the break time is late here and I learnt a lesson that I have to give her something solid before she goes to school
4. I will need to get up earlier if she needs to catch the bus on time
5. Most parents just compare on how much your child can say, tell, sing, speak, dance etc etc. R got cranky and wouldnt say anything and was crying amma pick me up and the some mothers actually smirked because their kids had gone in the front and were singing rhymes with the teachers!
6.so there is child sitting next to us and R askes him aapka naam kya hai and that boy gets shy and doesnt tell anything…boy’s mom says he is very shy..I tell her its okie…
BM: so how old is your daughter
RM: 3
BM: my son is only 2.5
RM: oh okie..i am sure in six months he will start to speak to everyone
BM: he doesnt eat any veggies..your daughter seems to eat everything (I had packed dosa and potato baja for her and she was eating)
RM: yes
BM: Does she know the alphabets
RM: she says them but I dont think she can recognize them too well
BM: My son knows all the rhymes and all the alphabets and 1 to 10..I put on a CD for him and he sees it all day and now had learnt so much
RM: Wow thats great..and I stop talking because apparently her son is younger to my daughter but my daughter cant do half of her son
The teacher takes attendance and its evident that apart from me there is no other south indian in the class
BM: you are not a south indian by birth na
RM: errr..what
BM: you are a gujju married to a south indian na
RM: no no I am a south indian
BM: but you look and speak like a gujju only
RM: I have been brought up in Baroda
BM: Thats what I thought…you are a gujju married to a south indian..
I rest my case there
RM: Do you work
BM: No no I was working but now my child is most important to me
RM: Kicks herself on the backside mentally and wonders why the hell did she have to ask such a stupid Q
BM: do you work
RM: Err…yes
BM: so who takes care of your child..in laws?
RM: no she goes to a daycare
BM: oh and she stays there the whole day
RM: yes.
BM: Then how will you manage her homework and extra activities?
RM: I dont know really lets see
BM: I am sure you will not be able to cope up
RM: yaa lets see and thankfully the teacher started giving everyone the dairies
7. I am praying to God that they board R in the right bus…there are about 10 buses and most of the guys seem totally not bothered about taking the kids in…I am hoping its because today is the first day..lets see what happens tomorrow.
8. All schools are alike…total confusion when the school leaves
9. Parents are not ready to wait for their turn to speak..they have to interrupt other conversations get their doubts answered first and make a super fuss 😦
10. the older students seem to be having so much fun in school I felt pretty nostalgic 🙂
11. The school has a timetable for food like Mondays should be steamed food (Except idlis anything else you can suggest?), Tuesdays – parathas..blah blah blah
12. There were very few fathers who had come and they also had come with the mothers only..so in short it was mostly an all mom crowd…eventually due to lack of space the teachers had to make one parent go out and stand
13. I realise that now I have to buy black hairband, white hairband, blue shoes, black floaters, blah blah blah for R….
The RAT race begins!
R's Mom 
Awww your baby is in school now! Little girls are such divas about photos na? My niece is the same. I had to beg her for a photo so I could put it up in my office and finally she grudgingly agreed and smiled also! Nobody else got a smiling photo though :)The other mothers sound so insecure! I hope I don't turn into one of them.
congratulations nursery child's mommy!! good lord u must have scandalized "BM" by actually wanting to work after a child!have i told you i love love your posts…!!!
wow! big school and all! you know Cub NEVER opens his mouth in front of people and never shuts up at home. i am learning to let go!and i never indulge in baby olympics. and try hard to stay out even if others try to pull me in. you know i realize, we are the only mothers who are modest about out children and actually accept their weaknesses in public! bah!i am sure R is gonna rock it! 🙂 and as i type M has gone down to get Cub from his bus. first day by bus. lets see kitte baje aati hai!hugs
@The Bride: Awww…you are lucky your niece smiled..and okie confession time..when R didnt sing the rhymes and was screaming amma uthao while the other kids were singing, I almost whacked her 😦 bad mom na I am..but I was getting a bit frustrated there 😦 @Nuttie: thanks rey.BM did seem to be a bit astonished by my 'priorities' and coming from you its a big compliment :)@Mama-Mia: you commented *faints, gets up and tries to wipe the smile off her face* Even R is pretty silent outside so much so that people dont believe when I say what kind of a chatterbox she is….you are right..I need to come to terms with it…and see I do praise R when required but I have a feeling people over do their kids's achievement..it doesnt work for me!I hope Cub darling came back safe and had loads of fun at school :)Like I told The Bride: I did almost whack her when she was crying for nothing, but later I realised the more I get upset, the more she will too..so smiled, picked her up and then tried to distract her 😦 Its so difficult being a mom sometimes
How I see it- BM showed off her trophy, you showed off your daughter. Undermining others and showing them down is a way by which many people justify what they are doing to themselves. Those are the kind of people who lack confidence, have lots of insecurities and doubt themselves. You smirk back at them I say. Loads of luck R kutty, don't listen to Amma, it is not a rat race, it is a rat party in a deserted party venue 😉 Have loads and loads of fun 🙂
ROTFL!! Looks like you had a rocking time, meeting so many specimens in just such a short time! C'mon, think of the child. only she is important no? and you had the audacity to utter blasphemy by saying you work:)!! And you've already met an IAS/IPS officer who can say letters from numbers!! Wow! I say we are no good!!Steamed food(advice and suggestions come free): 1.idiyappam or sevai. making from scratch may be tough. try the instant varieties. MTR brand is good. 2. steamed fruits/veggies- apple, banana, carrots, peas with honey/salt3. puttu with hari moong/chick peas4. elai adai.Try other variants for the filling like sprouts bhaaji, boiled potatoes, paneer burji or if she likes- sweet variants like jaggery/coconut/jackfruit, any jam etc..
yesssssss big day for the little one.. OH my i gave my parents restless times when i was a kid 🙂 Best wishes and God luck to the little One..She will be fine and doing great … ohhh nostalgic i want to be that young againn ..Bikram's
@CR: God! even if you dont give R anything else, please give her a way with words like CR (They are born on the same date okie – I know you know but just reminded you :))Rat party in in a deserted party venue – how girl how do you come up with such wonderful words!@Vidya: And you do it with TWO kids is it ;)Thanks a ton for the suggestions and links rey…elai adai – I dont think I have the guts to try that..but others I can definitely do..thank you thank you thank you and I am sure two years down the line, R is going to write to you a big thank you letter as well :)@Bikram: thanks thanks! Iknow..its fun to be in school na and imagine R has like about 15 years of schooling left..bah! I am so jealous
Nice blog, and as usual very nice observations. Don't worry a mother who works and earns money is as good as a mother who does not. In india (or everywhere) I think each and every mother is under stress. One who don't work think that their children are taking them for granted and that they are not getting enough respect at home. The one who works feel that they are not giving enough time and they cannot raise a proper child. Come on why we mothers need to take the whole responsibility of them? Children are not our property they are other human being, we as a parent just have the privilege to see them growing in front of us. A village is needed to raise a child right! Best of luck to R and her family!
Oh BM is the kind of mother I love to judge every once in a while. So she stays at home but puts of video for her son to teach him letters and numbers and what not. What is she doing all this time may I ask?As I said I am amazed at how soon this 'my child does this and this and this, does yours?' start. Why is it that they need to show how far behind our child is to help them feel good about their parenting?Loads of hugs to R. She is biiiiggg girl now. Goes to school and all that. She must be so excited 🙂
Wow, 3 years and so many expectations from the kids !! No wonder it is rat race, not only for the kids but for the parents as well.But over the years, I have learnt with my son that what matters to me most is how happy and comfortable he is in the school he goes to. Learning will eventually come to him. And never bring yourself down by being judged by any other mom(working or non working). They have no idea how hard you work to manage your kid and family.
Waw big day for R and you..I wrote a big comment..Lost by the time I came back from meeting..I hate it..But don't want to type them again..Good luck to you both..
@Chandrima: Thanks a ton :)@Comfy: Err..maybe she is also teaching him along with that..pata nahi yaar…after what she told me, I was kinda wondering if R was actually doing anything at all 🙂 thanks for the wishes :)@Dilse: Dekhona…seriously 3 years and so many expectations :)I loved your comment and thank you very much for the support@LF: Wah! stupid comp! but thanks rey…
Its ok for R to not say anything yet. Its still early days yet,Im sure once she gets used to the people and make friends she will start talking. And dont even listen to other Moms. I dont know why this thing even starts whenever 2 moms meet – I get it all the time in the daycarwe here also 😦
hey R's mom, finally i gave birth to a baby girl on 29th of may.. just missed R's b'day by a day.. :). so i can expect my baby to be as naughty as R. 😛
@RS: thanks for sharing RS..feels so much better to know that other moms face this and are pretty cool about it@Anu Thathi: you delivered and already on the net *gasp* yayayayayayyaya! I am so happy for you…29th may is it :):) super nice..hope you and babes are doing well.. 🙂 congrats
Wow! R is a biggg girl now, going to school and I am sure she's soon going to love it all :)I still remember the awesome time I had with my friends at kindergarten :)It's indeed a rat race but only for parents like BM,trying to satisfy their their 'parent egos' by comparing their kids with others and themselves with other parents.Don't listen to crazy,idle minded, competitive remarks for they come from insecure people.Good-luck to you and R as the new,busy,school life begins 🙂
@CB: Thanks darling..hope health is fine 🙂
Baah! Such moms give us fodder for posts, dont they 😉 See it that way :PR's mom, we make a steamed dish using a mixture of pulses – yummy and good source of proteins too. Will share the recipe soon :)Hello Big girl R! Loads of luv and gud luck to u 🙂 Go hv a blast – these yrs never come bk again 🙂
@Swaram: Please help me with the recipe..we need to give her sprouts or something like that on Wednesdays..bhagwan help!
R is sure a big girl! Already at school! She looks so adorable in her uniform! Hugs to the smart big girl! And her cute Amma.Steamed dishes – how about dhoklas or kozhakattais? Listening to the menu, I am so glad that the school here has school dinners – so I don't have to worry about packing a lunch. Guess next year when we are bck in India, I will have to take tips from all of you on what to pack in the lunchboxes.As for BM, she deserves to be taken down a peg or two. How can people start comparing like this? Makes me mad!
@Smitha: thanks thanksI just go the recipe of Dhokla from a friend..thats next..kozhakattais! Isnt it too tough to make..I make only for Ganesh Chaturthi hehehe 🙂 and BM – sigh! what to say!
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