hope bubble in a gloomy world...

hope bubble in a gloomy world....

As we see the number of cases, tragedies, and the sheer amount of loss of life and families. You have to choose for your family to make a bubble where the children don't feel your stress and your elders don't get more anxious.

We think we have done it last year we can do it again. It's not that simple, and it's not the same. For starters last year was a year of firsts - online school, work from home, staying indoors, no summer holidays. But there was also hope in the children when this is over we will do this, go here, meet them.

When part-time physical school was to start from April term, I did not know who was happier, me or them!! But it all came crashing down too soon too fast!!

This new strain brings new questions, is this going to our life going forward? But it's a question for another time, why? I will tell you children are frustrated they are tired they are anxious. So are we, but we can do what they cannot. Let us try to make a bubble for them to live in. They are at home, but now it is our choice to make it a joyful place or a prison sentence.

On the day school was canceled once again my boys cried so hard it broke my heart to see how much they were looking forward to getting out of the house and on with their lives. Now that vacation has started, it has changed the mood a bit. But the gloominess was not going away.

So we made new plans for home, we don't enter the bedroom till its bedtime, we make lunch picnics on the balcony looking out at the world. Every day is different, I let them choose the agenda for the day and snack and dinner. It helps that my older one is into cooking, it's like therapy for him. One day they made a tent house out of old sheets like they do earlier but this time, we moved in there for the day.

So if you are blessed and lucky to not have anyone with covid at home currently and have children, try to live like them for them. It is not easy, I have extended family not keeping well, which breaks my heart to not be with them at this time. But they have care and are blessed to be in hands of able doctors and caretakers. But my children are in my hands and under my care.

They decide their day, their meals (I know to sneak in the healthy bits), their activities and I have to only play along. It makes them fell in control of something, these small decisions keep them distracted and settled for small bursts of time, till something reminds them of the outside world.

If you too have anxious children at home, try and create a bubble for them for the time being. It helps tremendously with your stress levels too. Do try it even if for a day if you can and let me know your thoughts...

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being that woman...

Every woman knows another woman, who at a certain point we want to refer to as nothing but "that woman". Some of us start early, teenagers may begin by using it for their moms or a strict teacher, or some girl they have some drama with. 

After few years when we reach work/ married life, we may have one, a few, or many of "that woman", in our lives. These women at the school stage especially like the mothers and the teachers generally mean well, but we could not care less at the point as we want to assert ourselves too. 

But in later life, these are usually the opposite the reason and cause of much of the drama in our lives. The colleague who hates your guts, the family member who loves to twist you in knots. 

Am I "that woman" to many people I know? I sure hope not, but know a few where I must be!! When I had my second boy many around me assured me, "don't worry, you will bring home two daughters." While others cautioned me, "no two girls, even two sisters are alike!" This chain of thought surprised me even more as it came from another woman, a very close friend, at that. Why was this notion specific to girls!! Surely no two boys are also alike! 

It's because the boys till now stayed put in mommies homes, it's the girls who have to move in with strangers and "adjust" to all the drama. I can sing all high notes about myself here, as to what an amazing giver I am as a human, which I like to believe is true! I try not to be judgmental of anyone no matter their doings. But if you cross me, well I have luckily been brought to make sure I cross you back, not by hook or crook, but with a reply nevertheless!

Is it wrong when others do it and not when you retaliate, no matter the reason? "That woman", has been the cause of many a misery for me through the years, but now I try to keep my sanity by just letting myself be. 

It has ended lots of unnecessary drama and believe me when I say initially it would bite me to try to take the high road, so as soon as I worked out the courage to be able to reply without losing it, I started with that, say your bit and get out.

Do I still lose it sometimes, yes sure, not applying for sainthood anywhere? But my personal well-being is most important to me is what I have realized over time.

May you be able to ignore the drama not needed and give back aptly where needed. Hoping you find the road you want to take for that growth!! Till then let "that woman" be just that and nothing else in your mind and life!!

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when you will have children... you will know!!

It a line I always heard growing up repeatedly, when you will have children... you will know!!

Can I say now I do!!

My mom would go to the extent to say, we are going to spoil your kids so silly, you will remember what kind of brat you were. I will not be bringing them to you I would promptly reply to her... sad it became true as she passed few months before my older one was born. 

Now that he's a pre-nager, I know what she meant, when she said I was being a brat!!! I mean there are nerves I did not know existed in my body that he manages to pull. The constant reminders to self, that came from friends is pick your battles, you can't be fighting them all.

Well is he's being a spoilt b**t all the time, I might as well be getting it out of my system all the time. The gut-wrenching irritation is so compelling and nothing seems to be working here. The reverse psychology, the counting to three's, the mental wait and watch, nothing. 

What works is to leave the situation alone, the things you want to be done don't get done, but your instinct to turn serial killer subsides. The world is their enemy, all I can say they are enemies of the state, the state being my house.

I sincerely hope it's the toll of covid and saying at home for a year, if not I can say I am doomed! I have to secretly build up my strength to go on for the battles I do choose to fight, like the homework, the remain hygienic coz no matter what they have been taught since birth, boys will not have their hygiene standards.

Hoping the world opens up real soon now, so I can get my sanity back by handing them to an institute for few hours every day. institute of learning or for my mental wellness, just please go back to school full time!!!

PS. the above may or may not be a work of fiction depends which side of the sympathy radar you are on. For all moms out there, now we know why we watch crime documentaries at night to unwind*, read it recently on a mom meme.

Or the worse part to this narrative is coming up, as my younger one has slowly but surely picking up the traits!!

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back to the grind... the new way!!

Last march when the boys got a mild fever a few days before the term ended, I was a bit annoyed at them for not being careful as they tend to enjoy summer things as soon as there is any sign of the sun.

But soon, the world too had to be shut down, due to COVID. Ever since then they have been home and well so have I. After a gap of a year they are being called back to school in a very limited capacity. 

This is the decision that I have to take whether to keep them home as the number of cases has suddenly risen again or to let them step out. Had it been a parent-only communication, I would have not considered it at all. But it was discussed during their online lesson and well it went on from there.

Every day the boys will ask me, when can we go back, when will we get the circular. I can see the excitement to get back out there and the constant discussion between them about meeting friends, meeting teachers, and general talks of school.
It is going to be nothing like before I want to tell them. It's not normal, to carry masks and sanitizers and live like our frontline workers for small children. You cannot hug your friends, or even shake hands or hi-five them. You cannot sit together at snack time and share your thought and food. You cannot even share an eraser or an extra pencil with your classmate. 

I am scared to send them would be an understatement, I'm terrified and worried and petrified, but even then I cannot pass on my fears to my children. I start to tell them they can have extra two days off from online classes if they don't want to attend school. But nothing can keep them away. The minds have been made up! 
So after a week of constant discussion, tomorrow is the day. 

How would or are you coping with this new normal for our brave children. As I forget that they are the first set of children to do school completely online too!! I know we give them less credit than they should be. How well they coped with the classes, assignments, and school activities remotely is commendable. They know their need to interact and be around their friends just like us grown-ups.

So all the best to all the children out there and more faith and power to us as mothers to be able to support them without passing on our fears and anxieties and insecurities to them and letting them take charge of their decisions by supporting them and backing them.

Wishing things go back to normal soon and wishing every child a happy and wholesome childhood!!!

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things that say... I Love You!!!

Growing up you have a million fantasies about romance and love.

I think Shahrukh Khan and his representation of love be it in DDLJ to Kuch Kuch hota hai did not help much. I was always the cynical teenager snickering at the antics. The fact that Daniel Steele, Jackie Collins to Mills and Boons were all banned but sought after in my all-girls boarding school was not much help either.

I remember the excitement when some classmates "cousin" came to visit.

College life too had its fair share of high drama and madness. So when I had a super longish courtship I made sure everyone around me made sure to let it be known that grand gestures would be highly appreciated.

From waking unto a bouquet of red roses every day for six months, to monthly well thought out surprises, I had my fair share of the fairy tale. My first pregnancy was also so pampered and spoilt.

But somewhere down the line, we lost the plot, I am hoping like most couples. The just us dates became from weekly to monthly to even having long gaps. The personal celebrations became family affairs, the anniversaries became family weekends away, the flowers became another thing rather than a gesture.

The lockdown we were so not used to being around each other all day would be an understatement. Between our work, and my constant running from one pick up to the next drop off. We had come to a sort of mechanical existence. Slowly we are building back our rhythm.

So when we had the rare evening recently that kids were not home, we decided to stay in a just be. Enjoying the music and the weather. Another day, while running errands, we just detoured to a long drive, something we had not done in years. Reminiscing over a quick coffee date in the evening before the kids get back from a class.

Sure the grand gestures that once were are not there, the fluff has cleared out. But the things that say ..."I Love You!!", sure are.

Take moment, smell the roses, pause..... there may be many ways to say it but if you find those moments sure not the same as before, but here and there, the love always stays.

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save me I'm a mom of a pre-nager

Terrible twos, adolescent, puberty a mother's life is never as smooth. We are dealing with one meltdown after another.

Recently, my soon to be eleven years old had a temper tantrum he seems to have missed as an adolescent, in between sobs he tried explaining to me, "can't you understand leave me alone, I am not a child I am a pre-nager!!"

Well here I thought I had few good years coming my way before he became a teenager and the younger one was growing out of the temper tantrums.

Amazingly, he had a term for what he was having, otherwise, I wonder if I would have entered this time questioning my skills as a mother of having a cranky teenager before he even became one.

I asked my friends what to make of this, they tell me they are in the same boat and I think we are sinking before we get to this next destination of teenage.

So are we in transit?

I sure hope so or this is a crash course for things to come!

Life is a school, all through it as we get a little familiar, a little comfortable life moves us on to the next lesson. I have been homeschooling the boys like the rest of the world, and I have a newfound respect for the teaching world. 

As a rebellious teenager myself, I used to love the saying those who can't teach. I am left humbled after this one year at home and have to say only those who can teach, while the rest of us pray and wait for this pandemic to get over so we can send them back to their teachers and we can get back to running around after them in between our coffee catch-ups!!

Meanwhile, I struggle with the changes in the education system that have made our kids so smart and aware, while I can surely say like my mother before me must have, "in our times there was none of this and none of that!!!"

Happy parenting and enjoy homeschooling!!

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blog spot https://unofficialsarcasticmommy.blogspot.com

teaching boys to be equal

Ever since I was a child, I held on to my mother every moment she was around me. Which was a good thing coz I lost her to a car accident right before I turned 12.

Almost thirty years since, her memories, her mannerism, and her simple but true love for me are all I remember. I think I was chronicle every moment with her if I have to. I love those memories, they are a very important part of me. 

So even before I ever thought of marrying I have always wanted a little girl of my own. It used to be so high on my list of wishes, everything else came in second I think. 

When I had my firstborn, I was so excited, thinking my dream is finally coming true. I had my older boy, I thought, well never mind, now that I am done and dusted with the pressure of having a boy. I can have a girl the next time. 

It did not happen, so now that I am blessed with two boys. I think the next best thing I can do is teach them to be equal to girls. 

A girl is always taught in our society that she has to have it all. If she wants to have a career, she has to be an excellent homemaker as well and has to have children as well. If not she's not complete. But is a man complete if he's just successful at his job? Will being an absentee son, father make him a complete man? 

I recently overheard an aunty exclaim, "These girls are so spoilt that even when they go for a movie, it's the father who takes the children to the washroom, Can you imagine!" she went on "The mothers sit and enjoy the movie." Well!! I wanted to tell her its because, given the time and safety concerns, your 9-year-old grandson cannot be sent alone to a public washroom and nor can the selfish mother take him to the ladies room, is the reason the father, your poor son has to take his child to the washroom!! 

Ever since I came to terms with not having girls of my own, a conscious decision has been to teach my boys to be equal to girls in every sphere. They have to know to pick up after themselves, to fix themselves their snack, and while enjoying their gadgets and video games, they have to know the importance to wind up after they are done. In short, inside the house or outside they have to know their way around the world just like girls their age do, so once they are older it is known that anybody can do anything and do away with these gender-defining terrains.

I thank my husband and mother-in-law for not putting up any sort of conversation to have it any other way. Not that it would have changed my mind on this decision, but just making it smoother and fewer people to explain myself to.

Till we realize that girls are capable but due to the entitlement boys are born to inherit, the girls have to keep proving themselves. It is the boys who have lost out on learning, knowing, and experiencing so many things in their lives. If they want to be equal to girls, it's time they too are taught about every sphere of life.

Here is hoping to raise a better human equal to the next in every sense of the word!!! 

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clinging to teddies!!

 The last year has not been like any we have experienced in our life! the changes the world witnessed may have been some hat the world needed, to take time to pause, be home with family and generally slow down.

Work from home, home schooling, online classes were the new normal. Though as a family we have come together in more ways we can imagine, but the fact remains we are social animals and we seek our own. 

This cannot be more highlighted than the need of my younger one to seek out and search for his old teddies to play, talk and hang out with. Being in the vicinity of the first cases of the virus, ours were the first few homes that went into isolation and as we near the one year mark of our being home, the need to move out with an equal unease to get back out there are both equivalent.

This time gave us an opportunity to move back home to be with with my ailing mother-in-law and be with her. The change of not going out and moving out of their homes altogether has impacted not only us but the boys also a great deal. 

So, at first the idea of my younger one bringing his old teddies as his friends to the dining table and taking them to his play tent may have seemed cute and fun. But now his constant need to check up on them and his general attachment to them has us worried. 

Covid may have moved out, but certain peculiarities in behavior seem to be staying back. Behavioral changes are not something peers take kindly to at that age. With the news of schools to be re-opening soon, the anxiety of going back out and sending the kids on their own too will be another bridge that remains to be crossed!

Hope you are doing your bit to get back to the old-new world! Here's wishing you luck and hoping the transitions back is smooth and struggle free.

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blog spot https://unofficialsarcasticmommy.blogspot.com

 

back to school....

back to school....

While I have been waiting like many other mommies to get the kids back to school... when I got the email saying they will be sending the schedule for schools re-opening, it was a scary news for me.

Just yesterday a mother had shared on the group about 200 school children getting COVID as soon as they went back to school! scary!!!

I have said many times I can't wait till they go back to school. But now that the moment has come I am not sure, how we will let it happen.

Is it safe!! How will things workout? How will we manage things the pick the drop? Many other questions fill my mind, will they be giving a snack in school? how will we manage to keep the stationary sanitized? The masks, which never seem to stay on the face!!!

A mothers worry never ends, we don't bring it upon ourselves I assure you, life as mothers does it for us. Meanwhile I walk into the boys room, and they have changed into their school uniform and getting ready for school!!! awww

love my crazy monkeys!!! Are you excited for back to school and your kids, am sure they too can't wait!!!

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blog spot https://unofficialsarcasticmommy.blogspot.com

surveillance and supervision

surveillance and supervision

As mothers we develop a sense of skills we never knew we had:

Kidsr room is too quiet somethings happening.

The route is bit bumpy, get ready for throwing up.

Ate a sugary snack too late in the evening be prepared for hyper babies at bed time.

But in the beginning we did not have all the answers, in fact we are all clueless what lies at the end of the pregnancy glows.

For the longest time with my older one, I used to be beady eyed by bed time and this tot would not go to bed let alone blink an eye. Till one day we missed afternoon siesta and within an hour of dinner this ones knocked out.

So being our journeys as mothers is of listening and observing and by surveillance and supervision.

Which is why sometimes I feel for spying work a job requisite must be to have teenagers at home or just being a mom.

Call us hovering or helicopter or buzzing moms but hey we get things done.

Sure those of you who have left the jobs to dads for a day have seen the amazing outcomes at the end of those days!!

So happy mommying and enjoy the bumps along the way. I sure already have epic stories which made me cry in the moment that I laugh at now.

I may hate it at times... but I love my job! hope you feel the same...

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