Anticipate, Negotiate, Compensate, are keys tools that parents should keep handy to tackle the present day rebellious children. Also, if possible, answers to their Why not and But Why... Thus, emerged a deal to compensate for cancelling the four-day outstation trip that got disrupted with elder grandson’s Nuclear Power Centre visit. While the two boys fulfil unfailingly their daily quota of fights, they form a support team when it comes to negotiating with parents.
First it was to Amazing Jakes, a centre for kids of all ages to enjoy bowling, laser tag and other games, with an unlimited supply of food items lined up to fortify oneself before, after, or in between10 am and 8 pm. The concept is eat what you wish from morning till late evening for a nominal entry fee, and pay for each of the umpteen games inside. We checked in at 11.00 so that we eat an early lunch, children play to their hearts’ content till twilight, and head home after an early dinner.
With a John Grisham’s book for Aunty and an e-book reader for me, we thought we would spend our time in the lounge as children played the games. When we drove back at 4.30 we found ourselves having to surrender our early dinner to an unobliging stomach, and having participated in almost all the games with children, not even side-glancing at the lounge.
The Laser tag proved a fiasco for me. A group of 30 people provided with dummy laser guns are sent in to a dimly lit specially built hideout with different escape routes. You are supposed to shoot at the blinking chest of those you encounter. I did it with gay abandon, sparing only my two grandsons and Aunty, with the Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Terminator gusto, unmindful of some children staring at me in awe. “Must be admiring the incredible shooting speed of the old man”, I patted myself. I realised later that I was supposed to shoot only at those whose chest-shields were blinking blue - not every Tom, Dick and Harry.
The Musical Instruments Museum (MIM) visit was a rewarding experience. Over 13000 instruments were on display from all over the world. Asia alone had 32 different segments. After spending hours in the museum, we realised we were yet to cover USA, Canada and Europe which we swore we would later. As you pass through each section with the headphone on, the TV there would feature a native playing those instruments. I was delighted that for the brochure cover they had chosen an Indian Bharatanatyam lady in one of the mudras. Every month they hold about 3 or 4 musical programmes from some part of the world, and at least one event would be from the Indian sub-continent. Music is the Language of the Soul, we agreed in toto with the inscription as felt as we drove back home.
And, as a fitting finale, a date at the FMSC (Feed My Starving Children) - voluntary service, at the 7 to 9 pm slot. When we arrived there were100 others already seated, robbing me of that ‘exclusive service’ feeling that the prior appointment gave me. Four items would go into each packet - vitamins, veggies, soya and rice - measuring 380 to 400 gms. Groups were formed at random - to fill each of these into a packet, measure, zip it with a machine, count the packets and organise them into carton. Our counter No.9 (all of us plus others) stood second, having readied 26 cartons, missing the first spot by just one carton. This last batch of the day had readied 168 cartons, i.e., 36,288 meals, or one meal a day for 100 children for one year - all ready for despatch to the Philippines - it was their day.
Back home at 9.45, “organise your backbags, and finish any unattended homework tomorrow,” reminded the parents, supplying in advance the Monday-blues feeling. But the children saw the other side. “Thatta, Patti, you two will be here for our summer break too, won't you?” Yes, if spring-break is over, can summer-break be far behind?
V V Sundaram
18 March 2018
No comments:
Post a Comment