Win - Win

Itchy's post on the different boardgames she is getting her children to play made me realise that my boy isn't very different either....


Any game - Achu has to win.


Games played:

Cards : Just to drive in 'the bigger' number concept we had a pack of cards and Achu was delighted with this new game. Until one fine day we wanted to drive the 'its ok to lose' concept......that marked the end of card games.

Knots and Crosses : He picked knots then crosses...that's ok...but he picked winning always and never losing...how boring is that!

Snakes and ladders: You guessed right....We get swallowed by snakes and he climbs every ladder.

Joining the dots: Same story ...He does not flare up until the end when all the boxes are counted and we get more boxes than he marked.


Scrabble: He will start where he wants to....he places single letter words!!...replaces letters when he does not 'like' them!!!!! and takes our letters when he needs them....oh please!

Chess: Thought I will just let him know what chess is all about. Drew all the 'charecters' and named them. Achu was very very interested. Then I mentioned about how each one of them move across the board. He was totally into it...until....

Me: This is the Queen. She can move in any direction and take any number of steps. and this is the King he can move only one step at a time in any direction.
Achu : WHAT??????....This is not fair ....itchichi Amma ....yendho amma idhu? ( what is this?)
Me: Huh! what happened?* highly confused*
Achu : King is the most powerful and HE is the one who can move all over...NOT the queen
Me: shock gives way to reasoning...No Achu All the others safe guard the King so that's why they all move around while the King remains safe
Achu: Noway! am not going to agree..poooo ammaaaa
Me: sighhhhhhh!

Remind me to find out how Vishy picked up the game.........
And help me find games that don't require one player to win and another to not win!

Meet the Teacher - Part 2

Achu and I walk into class...
T: Ahaa! ( shakes her head the way I wouldn't want her to) Rohit isn't getting his alphabets right..
Achu swirls, twirls and gives out a shy smile
Me: Well I made him write the alphabets at home and he did well Ma'am
T: That won't do....Amma just get his Assessment book ( she asks the attendant akka)
Me: I had a look at the book Ma'am and made him repeat it and he was ok
( T shakes her head again...and flips through the book  until she gets to the page that caused the whole show)
T: Look more than half wrong...he is not getting it right....please GET a FOUR line book and GET him to SIT EVERYDAY and write all the alphabets from A-Z once...then give him a dictation ...jumble them up ok?

( A slight level of giddiness had set into my brain as the whole episode was reaching THAT stage of getting my poor teeny weeny boy to SIT for a stretch of  'impossible' time (which can range from 1 minute to nearly 3 hrs) EVERYDAY...this I didn't want to happen but might have to happen...I'll tell you why...read )

Me: Ma'am could it be because he lacks concentration or couldn't hear the teacher when the dictation was on? ( Aha! That should get her thinking...hmmm)

A feeble voice from behind rudely interrupted my interpretation...It was T2...The teacher who conducted the dictation. She was the substitute (parent) who was managing Achu's class for the past 2 weeks while his teacher was on vacation

T2: No...Actually Rohit got all the alphabets wrong and I made him sit next to me and write ..I didn't want to help him since I thought it wasn't fair ...being an assessment test....( there goes my case and so Achu AN dI might have to work a bit )
T: See...he HAS to get it right
T2: In class ...when its from the board he is doing good...( hip hip hooray hollered my heart ..that's something positive :)...)
Me:(The weather was cool but sweat pearls settled on my forehead and upper lip for reasons evident) Ok I will do that...Can you do a re-assessment ?
T: ( Sensing my disappointment) Oh That's ok. We can't do another assessment but we don't give marks do we...So it should be fine if he knows how to write that's all.
Me: Can you please test him some time in the coming weeks so we know where he stands?
T: We'll do that. Will do it in December ok?
Me:( Glad,settled with a restrained smile ) Thank You

I nod at T2 and T and leave with a not so comfortable feeling.

Me: Achu miss paranja keta ...let's practise everyday and We'll get Sudha Miss to give you 2 stars instead of 1 what do u say???????
Achu: (Ignoring)
Me: WHAT DO U SAY?OK??????
Achu: hmmmm ok

For the next few weeks
Achu = Achusuto (of the Jackie Chan clan ) , the hopefully obedient disciple
Me = The Tai-chi Master of the lost UKG Nation
To reclaim the title = The master of  Alphabetric Transcription

Wish us luck and a lot more......:D

Double U

Yesterday Achu had dictation at school and he didn't do very well. His teacher sent word that Achu boy needs to get his alphabets right.

Oh don't worry am not worried at all. The boy is five...give him some time. But I just wanted to check if its concentration he lacked or he really didn't know the alphabets. So Achu had night school yesterday with Me as his Teacher.

Me: Ok Children take out your book and pencil and write the letter W
Achu: Amma...oops Miss look I wrote W
Me: Good Boy ...sanjay stop talking and write like Rohit ..Achu smiles...me too :)

Achu: Now tell me Miss why do we call W... Double U when we write Double V
Me: Hmmmmm Actually W is Double U but we write Double V...we can also write Double U..but in school your taught to write Double V ok...Phew!
Achu: Ok .....( thoughtfully)
Me: (Happy achu is happy with the explanation)....Ok next letter P
Achu: So At home we will call W Double V and in school we will call W Double U OK
Me: ( I knew something was coming)....Fine write the next letter P

We will have a detailed talk on the Double UV some sunny sunday baby !

BTW Achu got all the alphabets right. Concentration in class is what my boy needs to work on.

I have been asked to meet the teacher tomorrow....Am quite experienced at it now...let's see how it goes :)