Tired Of Doing Those Chores?

After Saumya comes home from, our usual routine revolves around talking about her day, my day and then she chooses some work to do while I make dinner. Few days back I did Saumya's laundry but didn't get a chance to take the basket to her room. Upon seeing the basket spilling clothes and her favorite teddy, she said, "Mamma, you washed everything today, Thank you" She does this every time I wash her clothes and her gesture does make me think that I have never thanked my mom for washing my clothes. Yes I was a brat like that but one day, this recognition from my 5 year old, made me call mom the very next day to say thanks for everything she has done for me. Better late than never! It did feel good but mum really couldn’t understand the fuss. Back to the laundry though, she requested me to put her clothes on her bed so she can sort them.  I never thanked my mom for her laundry services and I make my five-year-old put away her own laundry. How mean? If only my mom made me participate in chores like this, I would have also realized back then how much work all this is and would have also learnt to thank her along with many other people who made sure I get things when I need them!!  Oh wait, this certainly doesn't sound the way I mean it to, now I come across as if I am saying I am a better mother than my own mom. Yikes! 

Instead of wandering aimlessly let's go back to our laundry, yet again. Saumya took a long time sorting her clothes, making separate piles for socks, tights, leggings, shirts, dresses, undergarments, night suits, pants...I just went back to the kitchen hoping she finishes by dinner time. Once dinner was ready, I called her to come downstairs so we could eat and what I hear back is this "Mamma, I will take more time because I am organizing my drawers"

"Which drawers?"

"I am organizing my sock drawer, undergarments drawer, and legging drawer. It becomes very hard to find things"

Ahem. Gulp. Ahem. I frantically started organizing stuff in the kitchen drawers, you can call it parental pressure, err, a habit that runs in the family.  And a thought just kept on hitting me "As a parent I am supposed to set a good example for my child and here I am learning from my daughter's example" Was I embarrassed? Not one bit! In fact, I was a happy mom in those moments, taking pride in the environment we provide her at home, in perfect marriage to what she gets at her Montessori school, that is helping her develop a sense of order, a sense of responsibility and an appreciation for the effort that people around us put in everyday mundane chores. 

Saumya came downstairs with a big sigh of relief, a face shining with satisfaction and beaming with self proud. Getting ready for school is a tad easier when we are not going berserk looking for a pair of socks that match. And because she organized it, she makes every effort to keep it that way.  I checked off another thing from "everyday to do" list, I do not make Saumya's bed. Yeah, life is sweet by not doing stuff. No really, I strongly believe in "Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime" , what it means is we can only help someone so far and self reliance is the key to survival. Being able to go through one's day independently boosts a person's confidence and shows him enormous possibilities of things he can achieve. Each parent gets to hear this in early childhood years "Don't do it for me, teach me do it myself" And we don't cater to this desire of self dependence, we get brats like me who do not care to thank their mom for doing their laundry. First few days Saumya didn't care and just went back to the "unmade" bed. My signals seemed to go nowhere but one day, while she was at school I prettied up the bed in our room, changed the sheets and the bedspread with the fancy ones to make a statement, to make it look different than usual, to get it noticed. Upon return, she immediately noticed and commented, "Your bed looks pretty, how do you do it so nicely?" "Yes, I am good at it because I have been practicing it every morning" She went straight to her room and few minutes later, she comes back jumping with joy "I have a surprise for you, close your eyes and hold my hand and walk to my room" Tadaaaaaaaaa! The unmade bed got made, comforter neatly tucked in from all the sides. The trick worked! Every morning before heading downstairs for breakfast, she makes her bed. 

 Doing her laundry is a pleasure now. Are you saying “yeah right!!” ? But really, all I  do is bring the clothes to the laundry room and Saumya put them in the washer, I put the detergent and then she puts them in the dryer and then I bring them back to her bed which I didn't even make and still be a proud mother *evil laughter* muaahhahahaha!!

Now only if I can take care of my own sock drawer, life would be perfect.


image courtesy : google images