Q & A

Achu: Amma how does a bulb light up?
Me: There is this filament achu ...wwhich lights up when electricity passes through it
Achu: Oh those two sticks...
Me: no the spring like thing that connects the sticks
Achu: ohhhhh...why is the spring on top and not connected like a H ( H happens to be his fav alphabet ..why?...because HONDA CITY has a H :)...)
Me: Maybe this is the best way to do it....(too technical for me kutta)

Achu: Amma how is a mirror made?
Me: hmmmm polishing a flat stone will give u a mirror
Achu: silver colored things are also mirrors?
Me: sigh....yes we can see our reflection
Achu: yes my plate is also a mirror...the window is a mirror
Me: ( wondering whether to explain the whole story at bedtime or stick to a simple yes and do the explaining sometime later)....yes

Achu: amma how....
Amma: Kutta its time to sleep....all other questions tomorrow ok...

More of googling....coming my way :)

The Case and Verdict

Points against little Achu and big me
- He day dreams in class
- He smiles to himself
- He doesn't mingle with the other kids
- His Ws have their mouths wide open
- His 3s don't look good
- U work
- U are not spending time with him
- U don't know what's happening at school

And then she explained what she taught the kids all through the month with me nearly feeling dizzy and totally guilty......

Facts of the Case

- Achu watches too much of Mr.Bean and so he often morphs into Mr.Bean himself....that explains the talking and smiling part
- Achu day dreams when he is bored and knows what is being told....don't all boys do that?
- Achu has always done self play....no neighbors his size, no relatives close by his size...so where is the question of mingling....he is kinda choosy with who he plays...a true cancerian
- He will be jus 5 tomorrow and I don't want to pressurise a 5 yr old to get his Ws and 3s right...they will be good when they have to...( though I know of a dozen kids who can write the alphabets in reverse and count to 100 )
- I work but I do spend time with him....maybe not like the other moms ...maybe lacking a bitta quality...but M and I make it a point to sit with him when he does his homework
- My boy comes back home and sings a song or narrates a story he heard at school...BUT does not tell me what lessons were taught....maybe that's where his interest lies
- I came back home and asked Achu all that the teacher told me....questioned him...asked him to draw it on the board....and to my delight he could recollect every single thing the teacher had done at school

The verdict

So the next day i went to school with all the good news and she was glad he was attentive though he seemed disinterested.

She said it was good I got back to her.

So we mutually agreed to

1. Meet weekly to pass on what happened during the week
2. Get him to join drawing or dance ( she was surprised to know he took part in dance and singing in Pre school and lkg)
3. Make him write something on the lines everyday ( I guess a little bitta writing will get him used to the idea of having to sit in one place for a ten minute stretch :)...)

Personal steps

1. No more Mr.Bean. The theme of his 5th birthday was to be Mr.Bean. But it isn't anymore. Must get this guy out of my son's system
2. A desk tops Achu's birthday gift list
3. Don't miss a chance to hug my lil boy...he's a bright little boy you know :D

And then the teacher called

J (who looks after Achu when am at work) was leaving in the evening after the days work.She reached the front door and then turned towards me and said "Achu's teacher wants to meet you". Then she hurriedly left as the first drops of rain dampened the hot soil.She left me with a thousand questions for which I matched ten thousand probable answers and a handful of favorable ones out of those.

Flashback 1: Achu came home after school and said "Amma today we were asked to cover our faces and I dozed off.....
Me: were u asked to sleep?
Achu: no i just dozed off
Me: oh-oh

Flashback 2:
A: School is boring .They make us sit in one place for soooo long
M: Atleast they can do that :):):)
A: Poooo Amma

Flashback 3:
A: Amma I hate homework. I won't do mine
M: Oh kutta...let's surprise Acha come come
A: No I won't...Itchichi Amma..
(then he does it after a lot of 'let's surprise' talks...the only thing that works nowadays)

Flashback 4:
M: Who are your friends Achu?
A: Ohhh please don't ask me...
M: tell me na....there's sanjay...then I forgot hmmmm
A: Megha :)
M: Yeah megha and then
A: that's allllllllllll

Many more 'Achu and school' episodes had re-runs in my mind....

May be Achu is sleeping in class
May be he is a loner
May be he isn't good at school
May be he doesn't talk (courtesy: I am Mr.Bean)

Or the happy ones

May be there's an event coming up
May be they want to just meet the parents
May be they need some extra fees

Oh Whatever....I have to meet the teacher tommorow