Dinner with my kids

It was dinner time. My husband was busy with IPL match. So it was just kids and me at the table for dinner. Since Shruthi and Swathi’s interest towards finishing their homework seemed to decline, I thought I would initiate the topic of how education is so important to our lives. I thought if I make the concept of education very clear, I can make them realize the importance of concentrating on their day-to-day school assignments.

Me: Listen girls! I just wanted to tell you something for a very long time. I was just waiting for the right time to speak this up to you both.

Shruthi and Swathi: What's that?

Me: A career is very important for each one of us. To survive in this world, we all need to hold a decent job.

Shruthi: (She spoke as she contained the food in her mouth) - Then why is it that you are still at home? Why don’t you have a job?

Me: (I did not know how to deal with this unexpected question) - That’s because I now have the responsibility of taking care of you two at home.

Swathi: Then why are you applying for jobs?

Me: (Oh God! How come they know many things?) - That’s because I think that you guys are big enough to manage things on your own. That is why Daddy asked me to look for a job.

Shruthi: Mummy, tell me one thing – who should decide about my job?

Me: Undoubtedly you, darling!

Shruthi: Will my husband interfere and ask me to take care of my kids when I grow up?

Me: He need not interfere. You will willfully stay back if you have to take care of your kids. Sometimes you need not stay back either if you have a responsible person to take care of your kids.

Shruthi: Mummy, I am going to name my daughter “Latika”

Me: (These girls are moving away from the topic!) - Wow! That’s a good name!

Swathi: I will name my daughters Varsha, Shreya, Lalita and I have thought of more names. Did you like these names Ma?

Me: (Oh God!!!??) – Indeed, nice names! Now, let me come to the point. I mean to say that we all have to have a job in hand.

Shruthi: Ok, so?

Me: Only if you study well, you will get good job.

Shruthi: All who are having jobs were good students at school?

Me: (hope she doesn’t understand the reverse to be true and try to figure out that to be the reason why I am at home :)) – Yes. If we all study well, we will get good marks and if we get good marks, we will get a good job and if you get a good job, you will be paid well and you can buy anything you want with that money. Now, how does that shound?

Shruthi: That sounds nice but I have a trouble here.

Me: What is that?

Shruthi: I want to be a teacher and that too a drawing teacher and I don’t understand why a person who is going to be a drawing teacher should learn so many subjects like Maths, EVS, Moral Science, Computer Science and many others. Is it not enough if I learn to draw and maybe attend the Art class in Tarang?

[Tarang is an institute that teaches music, dance, art and such stuff and Shruthi has been asking my permission to join in the art class though she already is in music and dance]

Me: If you want to become a drawing teacher, then why would you learn music and dance? It is just like that.

Shruthi: I am learning them because a drawing teacher can sing at home and dance at parties. In fact, everybody should learn to dance.

(That is her theory probably - that everybody should learn to dance)

Me: Ok, leave that. You were once telling me that you want to be a Princess when you grow big. You changed that idea later on. Is it not?

Shruthi: Yes

Me: You also told me that you wanted to be a Physical Trainer in a school. You changed that too. Is it not?

Shruthi: Yes

Me: A child’s interest would keep on changing like this.

Swathi: When you were young, did you also have changing interests Mom?

Me: Yes, I too wanted to be a teacher and then I decided I would be a lawyer. Now again, coming to the point, when you turn 17 or 18, you would be able to clearly define what you want to become. So that is why we study the basics of all the subjects. That would be useful for us to choose what we want to become.

Shruthi: Maybe I will still say that I want to be a drawing teacher when I turn 18.

Me: That’s ok.

Shruthi: I have another problem here.

Me: Now what?

Shruthi: I haven’t heard of a teacher by name ‘Shruthi’

Swathi: That’s ok Shruthi. What is there in a name? Have you ever heard of a teacher by name ‘Jennifer’ before? And don’t we have a teacher by that name? So I think that’s not a problem.

(I was just laughing bending my head down)

Me: Shruthi, name is not a problem. What I want to say is that you girls are growing. I want you to be good at your studies so that you can choose your career at ease when you turn 18. For that, you need to be very serious with your day-to-day assignments and get good marks all through.

Shruthi: Ok

Me: What about you Swathi?

Swathi: I will also do my homework regularly.

Shruthi: (after a long pause) - Mom, I think you may be right. My interests are changing. Sometimes, I feel that I should be like Daddy working in a bank.

Swathi: Yes, Shruthi. Sometimes I too feel that I want to become a doctor.

Me :) :)

Shruthi: (after some time) - Mom! Will I be paid like Daddy when I become a drawing teacher?

Me: You will definitely be paid but not like Daddy.

Shruthi then began thinking deeply......