The great NO

Ever wondered why primary school teachers are given training in early childhood development? They need it, pal, they need it. It is then sheer commonsense that the guys and gals on the front line also need training. But then, why on earth aren't parents or soon-to-be-parents protected against...err., well…I mean...y’know…sent to parenting seminars on 'bringing up children without too much damage to everyone’ or something on those lines? Hold on…here's a disclaimer...if you are one of those parents who manage to explain calmly to their children why they do not need the 5^th tube of Pokemon toothpaste in 2 weeks and if your kid is the kind who appreciates such sound and sensible parental logic, then please do not read on. But if you are one of those mortals who lose it pretty fast after the third calm and controlled explanation, let me share a simple life saver which works. Learn to say, “No.” Yes, it’s as simple as that! But this one doesn't come easily...you need tons of patient practice.

For starters, stand in front of the mirror; imagine chubby cheeks and twinkling eyes (a tough act, given that you are gazing at a rather hassled and stressed out vision), make a blank face, go ahead and try it, say “No, dear" (or chanda, or raja, or darling or whatever).

Now imagine tears welling up, sides of shivering lips drooping down…steel your heart, prop up the melting facial muscles and say, “No.”

Of course, next imagine the tantrum…the full blown variety, the kind they usually reserve for use in supermarkets…arms flailing, decibel level hitting dangerous levels, pulling stares from everywhere--steel everything and say, “No, sweetie” (or equivalent).

Sounds tough? No, it isn’t. It is one of the easiest words to say. Try it. And wait it out...in the meantime, focus all your attention on the $10 sliver of organic Japanese pumpkin in the chilled vegetable section. Act as though you had nothing to do with that bawling kid trying to wreck your shopping cart. Surprisingly, you’ll find that the storm dies down faster than you’d expected it to. And so does the frequency of future storms. After all, no kid can suffer the indignity of being ignored, least of all to a pumpkin, whether Japanese or organic.