I am posting a couple of essays written by Pari in the school --because they are really imaginative, so much that they are almost hilarious and because I want to preserve them for eternity!
The child certainly needs some help with the languages- predictably more in Hindi than in English. At the same time, it is the Hindi essay on 'my dear mother' which is truly remarkable. To begin with, I do listen to everything she says, and encourage her to share things with me, but I don't necessarily give in to all her asks. She has a field day every time I travel for work. And I travel way too much to get her books or toys everytime. I do get her stuff as and when I find something nice and the time to buy it, but not always, not even often. And going to work at 6 am? On most days I wake up only after 8 am. Also, offices don't start that early unless you're the maintenance staff. Again, I don't help her in studies regularly, and when I do, she doesn't appreciate it one bit. Mostly, she resents it.. which I think is normal for a child who has limited interest and inclination for any kind of structured education.
The child certainly needs some help with the languages- predictably more in Hindi than in English. At the same time, it is the Hindi essay on 'my dear mother' which is truly remarkable. To begin with, I do listen to everything she says, and encourage her to share things with me, but I don't necessarily give in to all her asks. She has a field day every time I travel for work. And I travel way too much to get her books or toys everytime. I do get her stuff as and when I find something nice and the time to buy it, but not always, not even often. And going to work at 6 am? On most days I wake up only after 8 am. Also, offices don't start that early unless you're the maintenance staff. Again, I don't help her in studies regularly, and when I do, she doesn't appreciate it one bit. Mostly, she resents it.. which I think is normal for a child who has limited interest and inclination for any kind of structured education.
Coming to the English essay, a training in maintaining a correct tense is much required. What really cracked us up is the 'watch the news' phrase. Really, which 8 year old turns on the TV on a Sunday, or any day to watch news?? Perhaps, she thought mentioning Doraemon will take away the formal air of the essay. And then, 'my lawn'! We live in an 880 sqft carpet two-bedroom apartment on the 9th Floor in Mumbai.. so again the only plants any of us can water are the ones in the common gardens in the building complex. But again.. my little Pari, I give it to your imagination child!
