With grandparents around this summer kids have become used to being indulged and disciplining has gone by the way side.
As is typical of many grand parents, they have an outstanding invitation / wish that the grand kids can move back stay with them. One such conversation put an end to this invitation. It went like this...
Grand Ma(to neetu in Malayalam): Molu, kutty enda koode vannu irriku. Avade school poova, amuma, mutasha'd kude kalikya...
etc etc and all the good stuff to entice her into going.
Neetu(In English): Ammmmmuma...!! you are old and will die, who will look after me then....?
****
Typically we try and enforce a rule with the kids that everything on the dinner table has to be at least tasted before you can claim to dislike it and refuse to eat it.
We had some fish for dinner the other day and the kids were seated alongside their grandfather who used to head an ammunition factory before retiring. In kids speak he made guns for a living as they knew it. He is a staunch vegetarian all his life was dumfounded with this conversation.
Nishanth: Mutasha, how will you know what fish tastes like if you don't try it ?
(That's typically how my conversation goes when I try to get them to taste something)
Mutasha: I don't like it..(for lack of a better response)
Nishanth(persisting): but if you eat it you may like it..
Mutasha is now in a spot trying to gather his response, I stepped in.
Me: Mutasha may probably like the taste but he does not want to kill any living creature and eat it..
Neetu who has been just a silent listener so far chimes in
Neetu: But you made guns that killed animals
We burst out in laughter, and this bout goes to the kids.
The justification remained unresolved however.
No comments:
Post a Comment