Its Oreo’s third Birthday and we are at the Supermarket,
buying party supplies and return gifts. We haven’t thought about what we are
going to Gift Oreo yet, buying something is a distant dream. It was easier for
his First and second birthday because the idea of being pampered and showered
with gifts had not evolved in his mind then and we would easily neglect and
ignore him. Even if he got many gifts on his birthday and they went missing the
next day, he wouldn’t notice, unless ofcourse he saw Brownie playing with them.
But this time its going to be different, we knew already
from the shopping list that both my Husbands offspring had made. I know they
are my husbands offspring and not mine because I was a good kid, but whenever I
meet someone from my husbands side after a long time they will make sure that I
know about all he had broken there. I think its his Karma that I’m paying for.
You know how much fun it is shopping at the Superstore, with
the whole family, its like an adventure trip. On one side there is the biggest
Remote control car and Doll house complete with Hair colouring kit and dozens
of pairs of shoes for the Barbie. And the other side is Kids shrieking, “Why
not?” “One more” “I don’t love you” “Just one last” “My friend has it too”
“You promised” “I’ll tell grandpa”. Its not easy walking through those aisles
while dragging brats holding your feet.
Oh I missed, there is one more side besides the kids and
loaded racks, your Husband, who will keep commanding “Stick to one aisle at a
time” “Stop staring at her dress” “There are no offers or discounts, take what
you need” “Avoid the embarrassment and let the kid have it” “Look at the watch,
its time for the cricket match” “Just one more thing from the shopping list and
we are done”. Who wears a watch to the shopping mall and looks at the damn
incomplete list anyways?
I am going to skip the Stranger side of the story, who will
look at you, like such unloving parents and disagreeing couple. I will come to
that later, but for now I’ll say to them it is very easy to make someone hate
you when you let your kids be themselves.
So despite all the hurdles and distractions, we finished picking
up random things some of what we intended to buy and some what the marketing
gurus wanted us to pick and still stand united as one family. The husband
consoled later saying that he will make another trip alone in case we forgot
something for the party.
The party was planned a little on the last minute but we
managed to pull it off, inviting only the kids and skipping the judgmental
parents. So I guess it was a little easy, playing the games in the order in
which they appeared on Google Search and ate in courses as it was cooked and
served. Nevermind the party details, it is about gift right now.
So he got a Big Remote Control Ferrari Car as a birthday
present and he couldn’t resist himself from boasting it in the playground the
next day. We leave buying such expensive gifts to Relatives and Santa, so I
guess Oreo was too excited to have it for the first time. As much as we wanted
him to play inside and not break it on the first day, we didn’t want to hurt
his emotions. It’s a jungle out there in the playground, competition, bullying,
envy and conflict, and not to mention fist fights.
Another kid, Oreo’s age has one of those automatic battery
operated Cars which you can sit in, maneuver and even honk. So while one of
them was ruling the territory for a while now with his most sophisticated cars
and was used to kids running after him asking for a turn to sit in. The other one
had just been crowned the Birthday boy with 10 new toys, a jealous sister and latest
gizmo, so the fight was pretty much obvious.
We didn’t know what was happening, until Oreo came back
crying. We started scolding him, thinking that he had broken his new car, but
later understood when the other kid came barging in our house complaining. Oreo
had broken this Kids Car Horn and was crying to avoid the scene. The other was
also pointing at Oreo and crying and nose running faster than his tears. I
tried to ask Oreo in front of him as to what had happened, but he is too small
to understand my intentions yet. By this time the other kids Mom had come and
politely asked the kid to leave with her. She was kind enough to let go of the
whole incident saying “What if my kid had done the same thing to someone else”.
And before I knew, everyone was back to their work.
Now that is what I am talking about, “Kids will be Kids, if
you let them be”, so don’t judge the Parents by their Kids next time at the
Superstore. Moral of the story.
