A lesson in parenting humility and respecting that every child is different

Yesterday Saro and I tried to force Akshaya to read!
Was so bad. Back of our minds we are thinking... Our friends kids her age can read we need to help her / push her! Not in so many words but truly I think these thoughts were there.
Coupled with her reluctance to read- she tries to guess/ remember the words! Or reads our lips and faces instead!

So we got impatient - were rough with her scolded her a bit- she cried face crumpled into tears and hurt too- I could see it! She was hurt she - we were making her feel we were disappointed and puzzled by her lack of reading skills!

What was happening? But then another idea came up along the way. Took a book she liked reading and was confident of - she wanted to write her own story using words from these books - that worked! I mean she can spell the words! Her spelling is good you know!
She's one of those children who can write before they can read and enjoys creatively expressing her thoughts rather than reading what's already written!
Then she re-read what she wrote- even then took some time but she did it!
Sigh- I kissed her so many times feeling thoroughly ashamed of myself- instead of tailoring things for her from the beginning I was trying to force her- who will love reading if they are forced to learn? Best part- I don't recall ever being forced to read! I just learnt- naturally- caught not taught!
Daughter teaching a mum who thinks she knows all!

I wonder too if she may be slightly dyslexic? Sometimes she reads words back to front- could've been because I started teaching her reading like that- group the back letters first then the front letters then put them together- or did she respond to that kind of teaching coz it appeals to her style? - I. E. mild dyslexia? It's not a common way to read I made it up- must go read up! Not fair to scream at her that she's not picking up something the way we see as being 'so obvious and easy' when perhaps she had different learning styles and needs.

Donda lakka

That's ashwin speak for 'don't like':)

So cute right! He says this when he doesnt want something or is not ready for it or has had too much.

Then when he's finished with the potty he 'll say 'done' ' done'

The other day Saro complained that he was itching all over and I rubbed his itchy spots on his hands. Suddenly a baby voice piped up - 'itchy itchy' and he scratched his own arm near his bcg mark! Trying to wrest attention away from daddy back to him!

Long time

Long time since I wrote about my darlings here
So what's been happening?
I finally gave some pics for printing.
We took our studio shot of ashwin my parents aaya and us as a family - photos are nice:)
Spectacular four generation photo in there.
Ashwin loves me and misses me- clings to me when I'm home- Aatha walk. Aatha walk! He loves to pull me to the room flop on the bed and lie on my stomach after I return from work.
Read book read book is a frequent refrain.
Both kids love the songs I make up. Boatman of Bihar is a huge hit with both when I brush their teeth! Last significant adventure was the boatman seeking treasure from the titanic ship at bottom of the ocean! He meets the giant squid and a huge octopus who tickles him uncontrollably.
Now we are in the sundarbans and I am introducing adventures from the hungry tide which I am totally I into! So far he has narrowly escaped a crocodile heard that he cannot say the name tiger for fear of inviting it and heard snatches of the bon bibi legend!

Back to the kids.

Akshaya gets real excited playing the upside world and Also created a really lovely make believe world with gold cats and silver dogs and tiny turtles!