How to get into trouble with a toddler?

Parenting is all about raising your kid while you try to diplomatically you pick words. Every parent goes through this especially if you have a 3 year old at home. From time to time, I am reminded of this with Smera around me. I chronically get into trouble publicly when the little one blurts out words she is not supposed to.

So when we started talking potty training with Smera, I told her big girls wear panty not diapers. The concept we came up was to make her feel now the she is big girl she needs to graduate to panty. Just like everything has to go wrong, we got into trouble at a family get together when the little one asks us “Mamma and daddy can you show me your panty?”.

Image: gettyimages.ae

That night was just the beginning, recently at my cousin’s wedding, the day before wedding at her place, we were all enjoying traditional Kerala sadya- eating on banana leaf. Smera hops on to my lap gets on eating on rice with her, dropping half down on the floor and rest in her mouth.

As you would expect any parent I too said, “Smera don’t drop your food”. I thought this is what I good parents are supposed to do, correct them if needed. Suddenly she blabbers out in anger “Mamma I am not going to listen, because you don’t listen to me. Don’t fight me”. Leaving me feel embarrassed and got an earful from my uncles for scolding her.

Now that Smera is growing up the obvious question will be how do babies come? So I was mentally preparing myself for that day, praying that day that doesn’t come soon. After much deliberation, I was planning to tell her - I prayed to god and then an angel came and put you in my arms and that’s how you came to me.

But life is always not what I plan particularly when it comes to Smera. An ardent Peppa Pig fan, comes one day with something stuffed in her tee and says “Mamma I have a baby in my tummy”. Mortified to hear this I was left to guess where she learnt this new information. Eventually I learned that Rebecca rabbit in Peppa pig was having a baby and that is how Smera learnt all about babies coming from the tummy.

Moving from there, the Halloween celebration has not helped me either much this year. One morning while taking her school, she messed up her hair and I just happen to say, “look what a mess you've made out of your hair?” The little girl feeling offended says, “no you look like a scary witch”, now how can I blame her since the Halloween costumes and themes were being discussed at school and at home.

Kids are much smarter than you think, especially mine is surely is, so right after the panty incident, learning from my mistake, bra is referred to as vest, hoping that would save me from embarrassment publicly.

Coming back to the moral of the story is not to under-estimate your child even if they are just 3.  Parenting is all about is all knowing when to speak your mind and when to mind your speech. A wise lady I met recently told me the ultimate truth of life – Children and pets always let you down in front of others!