I have cherished each moment being a mother with my son, right from his gurgling and making his first sound to his first laughter, even his cries, him coming running to me after winning a match of chess, I was his best friend and he told me everything first. Children get that naturally for their mothers I believe, for that is what happened to us. However parents treat their children as children more often and slowly as they grow they realize they are smarter and quicker in a lot of matters than themselves. That is point where it begins that parents treat children as friends.
To me it happened in the last few days before my son was to go away from home for the first time and live on his own in the hostel. I was not happy though I knew that was what he had worked the last two years for. Hardly slept both of us, for the dream was that he clears the entrance to one of the top institutions and secures a seat for Bachelors in Engineering degree. That came true and now the harder facts were pressing, my little child was to go off away into the hostel and live alone. I was worried about the smallest thing. How would he be there? What kind of rooms were they? Will he be able to tackle the bullies? Will he like the food?
All this was on my head and then a friend of mine told me to teach my son basics like washing clothes, making a little bit of instant food and a cup of tea or coffee for himself so on the worst days, in bad food conditions he doesn't starve. It was around the time when my son too realized that he was going to miss me and though acting all grown up boy, he didn't but he surely felt so. He would avoid his friends and spend more time with me. When I had to scream to get things done earlier over the loud noise of his computer games, my calls were answered in one go.
So I began teaching him how to boil milk, make coffee and warm up instant food packets. That was his limit. The next day I taught him how to wash clothes and then to iron them. But the day my lessons began so dis his. I wasn't aware my son had really grown up. He had saved through out last year and he gifted me a smart phone. He installed an app called skype and another called whatsapp. H also recharged it with a 3 months internet pack, knowing well that I would be slow at learning technology. Then he taught me how to use skype and video chat. While I would teach him to do the household chores he told me to take a selfie and send it via whatsapp. Though initially what I taught him was boring to him, later he realized that I was learning really well despite of being technologically impaired. So not only did he learn to do little things but helped me making all the snacks I made for him in the kitchen and trust me for us Gujarati's it is an endless list viz. papdi, gathiya, chevdo, chakli, puri, thepla, etc. In the last few days where my agenda was to feed him with as much food as possible, he taught me to be better at skyping, we found where the network was best at home and he learnt to make bhakri-shaak (Bhakri is a kind of Gujarati bread and shaak in Guarati means vegetables). We became friends and that helped us understand each other better and enjoy our time together. Now looking back that moment when I was sad initially that my son was going away was as memorable a moment with him for it was our first moment of friendship.
So at last as we bonded over, with me packing his bag and he setting up the computer passwords to uncomplicated one so that I could use it, I slipped a box of Kellogs chocos that has been his breakfast and guess what the day his hostel food is bad he always skypes me with a bowl of chocos in his hand and he doesn't look sad, something I had been so worried about. I am happy we have the equation of friendship, try it with your parents/ children and they will learn faster, grow happier. Today I can write this blog for he taught me how to blog too, once I could skype and use facebook and I am glad I can. Its the second best thing I do besides being with my family. So Khuljaye Bachpan with Kellogs Chocos? Watch this video and you will know what I am talking about:
And if you are sad today, have a bowl of Kellogs chocos, its nutritious and chocolate always enhances the moos. Fore more information log on to https://www.facebook.com/mychocos.
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