I hope this post is not too premature.
Last night I got a call from my wife. Apparently June has spent 3 complete nights without her fingers in her mouth. It makes me really sad. I will not be able to see the cute sight ever again.
The way she put her fingers in her mouth was unique (next only to Ayush's). I really thought that defined her as a child and was a special feature of her personality. I could look at her for hours just like that.
She used to indulge in it when she was usually bored, was not getting much attention, was a bit tired, or lonely or plain frustrated with her surroundings. Just like when Opu chooses to have a drink. It is like a recharge.
This cute habit of hers has a little history too. When she was about 3-4 months old I had a client visiting us from the US. His name is Chuck Schriener. Chuck is an erstwhile clinical child psychologist who now works in the domain of wholistic living. It was a time when June just started putting the odd finger in her mouth.
Chuck came over to our house for lunch. And during the course of the day I tried taking June's fingers out of her mouth while she was happily chewing it away. But Chuck admonished me. He said "Let the tree grow". Don't "fiddle with its foliage". When the time comes she will stop doing it. If you dont allow her to do that you will make her an unhappy child.
After that neither me nor mun attempted to stop, encourage or admonish her. Except that we pointed out (of late) that it is something big girls usually do not do.
Recently June has had the tremendous urge to grow big. Or else how will she put liptick, grow her hair long and dry them after a bath, or go to a BIG school, or even teach like Sakina maa'm or Preeti teacher. Or dress up like Mom or even be like Scout.
May be that thought has been the catalyst. But sleeping without her fingers in her mouth seems to be too difficult. So as an aid she has requested her mom to sing her Beedi Jalaile, Zara Zara, Aaj Ki Raat, Pal Pal and Abol Tabol while she is sleeping.
Not to mention the contribution of Mun's mom in this. She has been the one who has been patiently explaining to her that this habit might be cause for major embarrassment one she is big.
If given an option I would have her continue forever to put her fingers in her mouth and be the cute little kid. But then she will be caught up like her dad biting her nails forever, even in a client meeting and getting admonished by her client.
Infact, if given a choice I will rather freeze her now. So that she remains a cute little child as she is right now, through my times. But may be this is what parental selfishness is all about.
But atleast I really hope during each phase of her life she will acquire some cute idiosyncracies which I can savour for times to come.
13 comments:
"But atleast I really hope during each phase of her life she will acquire some cute idiosyncracies which I can savour for times to come."
kaushik: she surely will... and you will definitely delight in them i am sure.
regarding shuv, i am sure he will get a drink whether he needs a recharge or not.
p.s. thanks for mentioning me in your post again :)
Scout: To be frank I really do find a lot of similarities in Shuv's drinking and June's putting fingers in her mouth (recharge or no recharge).
I dont know whether Shuv will agree, may be not but thats how I see it as.
Secondly, if you are mentioned in my posts there must be a helluva good reason. So most welcome for the thanks.
But at times you also need to spend some effort that it keeps on getting mentioned in my posts.
Till now you have been lucky because June still remembers you. But dont trust human memory (it can be like a whore at times) especially a child's memory.
It is in the best interest of all parties concerned.
Cute :-)
Something very touching and something very new - looking at it from a parent's perspective :-) it must be wonderful and now i know why it is so tuff for you to be here with the two of us :-D when June is growing up daily and exhibhiting a new dimension about herself....
another reminder that we are getting older and older..
The post is not premature, it is perfect and i do exactly understand what you are experiencing now.
Shuv:budha hoga tu.
pls send mun's mum to gurgaon...maybe she will be able to convince me to quit drinking.
dear kaushik...your post is really touchy...speacially because u r away from home...
may b chuk wud know it better...but..do u know why a baby sucks its thumb..?
it is said that a human child is almost always withrawn from the mother's breast at a much premature stage..(for several social and practical reasons..)
a baby's sucking its thums is just an extension of its missing its mother's breast..
so dear kaushik....actually its our actions which are premature and not your post..
Shuv: Why do u feel so old? You should feel young. You are getting comared to June. But yes when I do speak to June on phone I feel she has grown up and that is when I think times are passing by fast.
Rip: This is exactly what I thought you will pitch in with.
I do see your point. Though there are times humans have very little control on circumstances. You do seem to be reading Dr. Spock a lot (beside Goog/Wiki)
Only one comment. I see a tendency in you to pinch which is more of a senile trait. But I am sure you do it in a spirit of fun and I dont mind it at all.
If you were not here many of our posts would have looked dry.
hmmmm...its rather strange..neither hv i ever read dr.spock..nor am i an internet freak..
...there was no 'pinching' involved bro...
..i had seen a programme in discovery where they were experimenting breast feeding on children more than seven years old..!!!
..and they had come out with some tremendously interesting observations...thats what i was talking about..
RIP: Well pinch you do. May be not this time. But why bother. Because it is harmless. So continue.
Dr. Spock may be worth a read but one of my wife's friend overdid it I know.
I would like to know the interesting observations of the experiment you talk about.
u chew your nails in client meetings??! wow! kaushik! that would be some sight to watch! hehehehe
Gypsy: Yes at time I do it, subconsciously. Particular when I am usually bored, not getting much attention, or lonely or plain frustrated with her surroundings. Just like June.
lovely post. i am sure june has forgotten me by now. but i will be soon sending the photos i clicked at your home. both june and scout are there. show her once in a week, an she will happily remember me. you know you should have some effort too.
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