Pain of your child growing up!

Whosoever says kids are innocent are perhaps ignorant themselves. My observation, being  father of two kids -  kids are extremely sharp and generally read people and situations like an open book…

It is a well-established fact in my family that both my kids “figured me out” before completing their first year of existence on this planet. Pretty early they figured out that this fellow is malleable and ductile and can be pulled in any direction. Not that I am not aware of this weakness - it is just one of those rare occurrences where you actually enjoy being manipulated. This also is reason why my wife keeps me at a safe distance when some discipline related decisions need to be taken!!

My daughter, just like any normal child, freely used her charms to get her way – be it about choice of her clothes, food and now her career (she is 17 and has decided to pursue a career in archaeology for some reason which I am yet to figure it out!).

Of late, what annoys me is she has stopped demanding anything from me. Whenever I travel (which is every week!), my 7 year old son is always ready with a new shopping list and patiently explains me his priorities in that list. My daughter used to do the same which she has stopped.

Yesterday, I had gone out to meet a few friends when I received her text message saying she needed a specific brand of pen. Finally!! I was happy that she demanded something. A few minutes later she called me and said, “Look, do not go around searching for that pen. If you find a shop on your way just get it, otherwise it is not all that important. Knowing you, you will roam around half an hour to search for that!” she giggled and disconnected the phone!

I was stunned at the accuracy with which she could predict my behaviour! It is strange that she continues to read me the way she did right from her early childhood – only the end-application of that knowledge is very different now. Though it is very sweet of her, I am still not sure I like it – somewhere deep down I just feel a pain of her growing up!!