PRE-SCHOOL MOM
 
I recall time and again my father mentioning a citation more often than necessary: Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself. I would wonder then, what is really so remarkable about the quote. But now that I am all set to send my little children to the Big School, I know what it signifies  or rather I understand what it meant to him. It meant his life’s dream to not only see me educated but also in the most apt way. 

When the BIG DAY arrived for my child who has always walked this world holding my finger with her little hands, I must say I was more nervous than her.  To realise that my entry would stop at the entrance gate of the school was heart-breaking. How could I trust anybody else for good four hours to take care of my adorable sweetheart? I was amazed though, to see her confidence and excitement as she stepped into the school, her world of first learning- learning of knowledge, of people, of discipline, of life. 

There are two incidents which left a marked remembrance on my mind. When Pallavi tumbled down as one of the kids happened to push her in school, I ran to pick her up; “What a careless guy! I am sure it hurt you badly.” But no! it touched me to hear my brave little girl say  “Mumma, don’t’ bother. look I am absolutely fine.”

I had also freaked out similarly when Ananya’s bus turned up almost an hour late from school. And at once  , a worried me decided  ‘I shall drop and pick her personnally’ . However, I changed my mind when I saw how thrilled she was to make friends on her way home and how much she was looking forward to see them the next day. I would have deprived her of that pleasure by being over protective.

Yes that is the word: OVER PROTECTIVE. My entire experience can be summed up in this one word.  It was as if my teeny weeny was all ready to mature into a responsible pre-schooler but I was not. In point of fact , I was forgetting  how much I would argue with my own parents to let go because I thought I was grown up.  To hear a similar thing from your daughter was quite overwhelming.

I am aware that this is just a beginning and I am yet to learn the steps to being a good parent but I want my daughters to know that though it may be a slightly hard for me to let go but I still trust how they shall cope up and deal with challenges - be it in school, work or life. 

And even though I am always tied up with one work or the other when they are at home but when they disappear like this together for a four hour span, I genuinely miss them and wait for them to be back; Back to give me the world’s most warm hug.