Spicy Rasam

How many of you feel your child is growing too fast?. How many of you want to cry out aloud “STOP!!! BE BABY AGAIN” (I am raising my hand). Just yesterday, my son, after coming back from a 3-hour play, asked me if he can eat non-veg food.

Now! We’re vegetarians. So, I gave him the usual ‘be kind to animals’, ‘It’s cruel’ talk. Then he suddenly asked me “what if the girl I like likes to eat non-veg?” I stopped typing, kept the laptop aside and stood up straight. “WHAT?”. This sounds like some movie scene right? But my baby is 10 years old. 10 years!!!!

Children grow up fast! Don’t they?. They have too much information in their disposal. We know all this. We can process this information as long as it concerns children in general. When it comes to our own child, well it sucks!!

Now! Don’t think I am some crazy psycho-mom who mollycoddles her son like hell. I know he like girls. Knew it from the day he cried and persuaded a cute air hostess to pick him up (he was 2 years old! And yeah I… ahemm… might have shed some tears that day).

Now! Coming back to the “WHAT?” moment. After he said “what if the girl I like likes to eat non-veg?”. I went into full-on mom mode (guess what? I take after my mom! The one thing I promised myself I’ll will never do!). I told him I will look for a girl for him (yup! I said that) and she will be vegetarian (yup! said that too). He then asked, looking like a tiny innocent bundle of joy, (it’s not weird to call your 4 feet son bundle of joy! It’s not!! Or tiny!) “Okay! But she has to be very beautiful”. I just shook my head as a yes. (‘Cause talking was just too hard then).

Now! Tell me this is not a sad story. Not you non-mothers out there or fortunate divas (mothers with daughters). Sisters who get me. That day I realized, my baby is growing. I mean, he is becoming a man. (haaah!! Was too hard to type it).

I know! It’s natural. I know! I am over reacting. But don’t you feel 10 years is not the age to be talking about the girl you want to marry??!! I was not even aware of marriage when I was 10 years. Boys were just smelly humans who sweat a lot and run all the time. This was all the knowledge I had of the opposite sex. My friend’s daughter paints her nails, dresses to play outdoors (yes!! To play…), and is very self-conscious of how she looks. Now, she is 11 years old. Just yesterday she was this tiny, pink, cute cuddly being. Now she is stylish, independent (yes! that’s what she thinks), elegant lady.

I am not saying that this is all these kids do. They do behave a LOT like kids (they cry, throw tantrums, are irresponsible as hell and hate school). But isn’t how they try to be and what they aim for in life important too. If a girl child grows up thinking she has to look good and be elegant all the time, she won’t live a free life. If a boy child grows up thinking he has to marry a beautiful girl and not worry about how good a life partner she will be, he will not live a free life.

I think it’s too late to be saying let us leave kids to be kids. Because, the digital age has already ruined it. So, let’s educate our children (even if they don’t listen! KEEP EDUCATING!) on how to respect the opposite sex and how to cherish childhood and the world around them. And let’s just hope they enjoy their childhood.