9.The Smart Strides of Small kids.

   When we talk with our kids,I think,we are not supposed to create an atmosphere that our kids  can act like elders on some occasions.Here is one such incident related to my elder angel daughter.

     When my elder daughter was in her third standard,one day my husband took her to a film.After getting the tickets,as they had some time to roam,they were watching the  film posters of the same film on the wall outside the theatre. While they were watching and roaming here and there my daughter lost the grip of her hand with her father and she held the hand of an unknown man without her knowledge.Usually my husband takes extra care on children at home as well as in the public places.However on that particular day something went wrong.

   After some seconds,my daughter realized that she was holding an unknown person without her knowledge.
She was bewildered.She looked around for her father and was in good relief that her father was still enjoyed watching the posters the other side.The second she found out her father, the same second, something brought my husband back to his world and his eyes happened to meet the eyes of his loving daughter.The panic in her eyes made him to repent a lot for his big mistake.

   He grabbed his daughter from the crowd,and put her on his shoulder and tried his best to minimize her bewilderment.He started saying something in the name of fun.You see my wise husband's dialogues with his sweet innocent daughter.

My Husband : "Honey! Where have you been?You are not supposed to leave Dad's hand you know!".

My daughter : "Bad Dad!Why did you let my hand off from yours?.

My Husband; "I am so sorry love!I should have been very careful ".

 She was yet to come out of her fear.

My Daughter : "What happened if I was not able to find you in this huge crowd?"

Pat came the wise answer.
     
My Husband : "As a matter of fact,it is so simple; You just go out and hire an Auto.As you know the

location and direction of our home,you just lead the Auto Man to our home ".(My daughter was made to

know about the  location and direction of our home for some good reasons ).

My Daughter : "What if I have no money to give him?".

My Husband : " Nothing to worry! After reaching home you get money from Mom and pay the Auto Man ".

    After the matter got cleared, I think she became so confident.So she did the same act in the same way
on some other day.

   Once,for some unexpected reason,her school had a half day session.i.e.Morning session was upto 12:30.Around 2:30 or so, by God's grace I happened to come out of the house for some reason.I saw some children of her school were roaming around with the school uniforms.After inquiring them,I got the matter.With much more horrified feelings I got back into home.My younger angel was about to sleep and she was waiting for me to accompany her.I told her the matter and left her to our nice neighbors and hired an Auto and went to school.Actually it happened like this.After hearing the announcement about the cancellation of one session, my daughter started playing with something in her class.So she failed to notice the deserted class.

   She got amused and headed towards the place where the school buses were usually made to wait for the school children.She couldn't spot even one bus.The bus assistant failed to notice my daughter's absence.My daughter waited there for some time.An Auto Man who seemed to be a regular Auto Man to a teacher who worked as the physical director, in the same school.So he was a known man to the most of the children of the school.On seeing a primary section girl playing all alone,he came near to her and inquired.

     He was a known man to my daughter too.Then, the Good and  Blessed Auto man told my daughter that he could help her to reach her home if she knew the location and direction of the house.My daughter agreed happily.The distance was around five kilo meters.More over she promised him to get his money from her Mother.When I reached the school no child was in the school premises.I went to the office of the school.It was locked.I searched around for some time and decided to come back home.If she was not there it would be better to inform my Husband.But I felt something that she would be at home.

   When I reached my neighbor house to take my younger one back,my elder one was also playing there with her sister.Could you imagine my huge, Himalayan relief on seeing my daughter back?.Then I came to know that as she promised to the Auto Man to get his money,she looked for me at our place.Knowing that I was off to school to take her back,she got the money from the same nice neighbor with profuse thanks and paid the same to the Auto Man with the same profuse thanks. And at the same time she didn't forget to promise our neighbor to pay back their money as soon as her mother arrived.  
       

8.The Smart strides of Small kids.

   As I observed we have a lot to learn from the kids's smartness to make our self as smarter as them.It looks like fun but it is the fact.

   One of my niece when she was in her primary section,she made her present at our place to celebrate her summer holidays with her other cousins.As usual they were enjoying themselves very well especially with water.At that time we were in my husband's office quarters where there was no water scarcity.The 24 hour water supply helped the kids to play with the water in various way through variety of noises.While they were playing they used to waste the cakes of soaps by dropping them in the bucket of water and never cared to take them back and keep them in their places.

One such occasion, I visited the bathroom to keep the things in order after the kids works got done in the bathroom.At that time my this particular niece was there.As usual I saw a cake of soap in a quarter bucket of water and the bucket  was in the corner of the bathroom.I thought that on hearing my foot steps, she might have dragged the bucket to the corner.Imagine the efficiency of our mind that it can fabricate the things comfortably in the wrong way,sometimes in the negative way with the apparent atmosphere, to convince ourselves that our assumptions are right.But you see! 90% of our assumptions would go wrong.

   That was one such wrong assumption of mine.I scolded her with some raised voice.With a perplexed face and with a confused voice she answered me with all her real innocent drawling voice," Aunt! I didn't do that.In fact I didn't see that.As you told to keep the soap in its place,I am following your instructions.You see! this is the soap I have used.I kept back in its place".I felt as if she slammed back with her real innocence.Still she has been with the same coolness even after having two kids to manage.But I have to learn that coolness all through my life.

    The other day of the same summer holidays we were at our native place.In one sweet morning,the same cool niece asked her grand mother for some small ropes.When she was asked for the reason she told in the same admirable innocent drawling voice," I would like to go with my friends to bring one bundle oftwigs".Her grand mother was so happy and with so many instructions to her and to her friends,her grand mother let her go.I thought all grand mothers of those kids might have given the same sort of instructions to their grand daughters and to their friends.

   Nearly lunch time arrived.But the kids didn't turn up.My niece's grand mother kept lamenting," Why didn't the kids turn up yet?.With their starving stomach are they roaming around?.Some one else must go to take them back.They might have gone to (Mentioned a place where kids used to go to collect their twigs ) and on and on.When my niece's uncle was about to go to give a good search for the kids,we could here the sweet voices of the kids.We all assembled them.It was quite a lovely view of that small butterflies like kids with their variety of colors and pattern of dresses fluttering all around,having their small small bundles of twigs on their heads, kept moving on for their places.My sweet niece put down her sweet bundle of twigs on the floor.It was such an elegant bundle.She was so happy but was not proud.But her grand mother poked her nose up in the air and hugged her grand daughter to her heart.    

7.The Smart Strides of Small kids.

    Many times my angel daughters have made their parents proud of them.It is about the incident when my younger angel daughter was in her fourth standard.

   It was the day of celebrating our regional festival "Festival of Lights ".For three days every house should be enlightened with mud lamps as many numbers as possible after the Sun set.The whole courtyard would be decorated with so many colorful designs of different arts with the powders of various colors.In and around the colorful designed arts in the courtyard,the mud lamps are placed in a good decorated way.Around seven,to see the decorated arts through the light of the lamps or to see the bright and elegant mud lights through the decorated arts background,really we need thousands of eyes.

   In the same way the whole house in and around also would be decorated with these lamps with equal intervals, including the staircase and the all sides of parapet walls of the buildings.No doubt,the thousands of lights with its spectacular background give us the feeling that we are in the heaven.

   After a good warning to my younger daughter,not to go near any lamp and made her to sit in the safe place in the porch from where she could enjoy the moments of the festival of lights.I retreated to continue my cuisine work.My elder daughter was on some events on T.V. she kept on visiting in and out of the porch to supervise her younger sister as per my instructions.For some time every thing was going on well as I paid my occasional visits to supervise my two girls.

    Then I heard the voice of my younger daughter's foot steps,who came running to the bed-room.I had no idea.I came back to the drawing room to accompany my elder daughter.Next moment my little one came back with a burning face with her changed dress.Her burning reddish face bewildered us but she tried her best not to disclose any sort of pain.But I could feel her severe unbearable pain.The reason pricked my mind.I darted towards her.When I held her close to me, she started crying in her high pitch and let me see her inner hands.They were in such a condition.The burnt tender part of her inner hands conditions were inexplicable.

     I came to know that with over excitement she went near the lamps and sat there with her spreading synthetic frock.It caught fire.But with her involuntary action, she doused the fire with her two hands by moving them up and down with such haste.With that severe pain,to escape from our wrath,she threw her burnt dress under the cot and changed her dress and came back as if nothing had happened.But by God's grace and through her involuntary quick actions,she saved herself from a big tragic moment.At the same time,my husband was back from his work.I could realize her big relief on seeing her Dad.At that moment, she really wanted her Dad's the best concern not Mom's worst wrath.Her wish was granted by the Almighty,I thought.

   In an another incident, after some time of the above incident,a woman who came for alms with 30% of clothes on her.Seeing her,my little one came running to me and requested me to offer her a sari,with the same horror and pain on her face which was quite similar to the face she had on the moment of the above incident.I gave her two old saris.With those saris she ran out to handover them to that lady.Before I entered  the entrance,my little girl darted back with some hesitation on her face," Mom!She wants one  in-skirt.
Would it be all right for you?".Because she thought her Mom wouldn't be ready with one more dress to offer.I cleared her doubt," My love! I should have given in-skirts along with those saris without which she can not wear the saris".By saying so I offered her two old in-skirts.After dispatching the clothes,to that lady, my little one came back and hugged me with the same big relief she got from her Dad on the moment of the above incident.         

6.The Smart strides of small kids.

   Union is not only strength but also Smart.I realized it with my own family kids.

   As usual we visited our native place on the  other summer holidays.The kids were so excited.All they knew was only playing and roaming around the village in and around.One such day, it was the time for winter crops.After a good summer shower, the fields were made to get ready to get cultivated. In our fifteen cent field in front of our house, my brother was not able to find sufficient men power as the whole village was busy with their fields with their arranged men power.My brother,my sister-in-law and with the help of one of our relative they started their work to even the field.I thought that it would take nearly four days with those three persons.

   Around eleven in the morning I called my nephews and nieces along with my own daughters.Including myself we made the total seven.With the persons in the field the total became ten.I tried my best to woo the children to the field.In the beginning they refused bluntly.But my efficient efforts and with some efficient promises they reluctantly agreed to accompany me to the field.

   We reached the field.The climate was very nice.My brother,"Oh kids!Why are you coming here?Go to play.We will come soon".The kids looked at me.I hastily answered."We have just come here to help you Brother!".My brother glared at us.I continued,"You and sister-in-law just guide us what else to do.We shall follow your instructions".

   Then the happy journey of cultivation started.My brother and his helper were moving ahead with their ploughing project.My sister-in- law did the leveling project.We people followed their instructions.Myself and elder kids, made two meters length and a quarter meter depth furrows side by side in good orders.One set of the younger kids, placed the beans seeds in the furrows in good order with equal intervals with their sweet brisk hands.The other set of the younger kids covered the same furrows gently with the soil from the either side of the furrows with the same sort of sweet brisk little hands.

   By lunch we people finished doing more than half part of the field.In our custom, when the cultivation process gets completed we have to have soaked dried bean dish for our dinner on the same day.Assuming the process would get done by sun set on the same day,my sister-in-law hastily went back home to soak the dried beans in the boiling water.By sunset we people completed the process with those smart kids' helping hands.We were so happy.My brother's family,and our neighbor fields paternal uncles' family and the other surrounding field owners and workers appreciated the grand work of our family kids with their good heart.They teased my brother family by saying that,"Look my son! the first harvest must reach those good kids in time.Remember it".The kids joys found no bounds.When our neighboring fields' ploughing works were in their half way, we did complete the whole cultivation process in a day with the help of those smart strides of small kids.I was so proud of our family kids.

   

5.The Smart Strides of Small Kids

   We call ourselves as elders and we behave as if " know all persons " and with the mindset,we feel that whatever we utter,those versions are right and the kids know nothing.So they have to obey just to obey our order like versions.Many times I feel that we elders are with so many kinds of plain" Mental Block " and we are not at all ready to retrospect ourselves to come out of those  " Mental Blocks ".The reason may be I think our useless self oriented thoughts,i.e.I,My,Mine and those thoughts lead to the self oriented activities.But  it is contrary with the kids that the kids all through their child- hood  they are closely related to God himself. I believe.So the only thought they are having in their world is " We ".This is a spectacular phenomenon I always observe.

     We used to spend our kids' summer holidays sometimes at our place and sometimes our kids cousins places.I am in a strong belief that when we make good and healthy opportunities to our kids to meet and mingle with their maternal and paternal cousins,it would be good for their present and future logical or not logical expressions based on their past meetings which would help them to get some real and practical knowledge to mend their way.When they are made to be good and close with their cousins,those meetings would lead them to survive anywhere in the world.With those stable contacts with their cousins all through their life with the same intimacy would help them a lot.

   One such occasion I took my nephews and nieces to our place during their summer holidays.They enjoyed themselves very well with all sort of fun and all sort of games, and all sort of fights and all sort of unity and what not.Based on some advertisements,their smart teasing on each other, were really  good entertainments for me.Their helps in odd jobs were spectacular.I used to enjoy with those kids umpteen times on various occasions.

  One pleasant evening we decided to go to a park which is nearly seven kilometers from our place.We hired a vehicle.The kids' prompt adjustments with themselves with seat arrangements inspired me a lot.We reached the park.I let them play freely.I kept watching them from some place where I had a good view over all of them.Their chuckles,their care free movement, their inbuilt blood relations aspect made themselves to play on caring and sharing basis.I could not help admiring them.

   After some times with a good satisfaction they all came back to have their snacks and to quench their thirst.Their sweating faces were glittering with the all sorts happiness and perhaps got enhanced with the evening sunshine.When we were ready to have our snacks one of my nephew asked gently "Aunt! Do we have sufficient snacks for every one else?.Or else we shall share with the available snacks".I looked at him fondly,"Don't worry!We have  a lot".But after every time he didn't ask anything for himself.If he wanted to go for a horse riding,he asked his gentle question,"Aunt!Do we have sufficient money for all of us for horse riding?"."Later "For Ice creams?"."For playing the "Pay and Play" games and so on.I quoted this particular nephew's caring and sharing mindset to the other kids.In the period of time the other kids also started asking in the same manner automatically but it was not fake.It was quite natural.It means without their knowledge they learnt something valuable.It was very pleasant.  

4.The Smart Strides of Small Kids.

   When I notice the love bonds of kids with their intimate relations really it is amazing.It is an inexplicable one.Really it is very soothing one.

   My angel daughters are so close to their Dad.Their Dad is so nice with no scolding and is always ready to be with the things his angel daughters want and is always ready to be at their service to take them wherever they want to go and he is a a nice play mate and is always ready to enjoy any sort of events of his angel daughters' choice on T.V. and so on.He is one of the best Dad who has been enjoying every day and every stage of his kids growth internally and externally, right from their birth.One of our neighbor used to comment,"You see that man!The way he is looking after his daughters is just like a mother bird".

  Now you can understand the prevailing love bond between these two sides.Under this atmosphere when my elder daughter was in her third standard, we visited my brother's place who was in the defense service in our National Capital.We had to travel nearly two thousands kilometers from our place.As my daughter was on her summer holidays we intended to spend  a month over there along with some of our relatives.

   My daughter thought that her ' Loving Dad ' would accompany her.When the train left her Dad back on the platform she was shell shocked.With a trembling voice,"Mom! Are we leaving our Dad back.How come it happens?Myself and sis will miss him so  much.Why didn't you tell me this before?This trip wouldn't be nice without our Dad's presence.I want our Dad to accompany us".Like this whenever she felt her Dad she kept on throw the tantrums.Her sis who was three years old at that time, felt the same.I could feel it.But many times she was a mere spectator with shrunk face.

    All through the journey she kept on lamenting "What would our Dad do for his meals?With no bothering you are enjoying your journey".And there at our brother,s place,even though she was enjoying the atmosphere and the company of her Uncle,Aunt and her two cousins,she kept on talking about her Dad in one way or the other.

   That one month Enjoyment made us to feel as if we were there for merely one week.The cordial company of my loving brother's family and the places  we visited along with our loving relatives and the pleasant atmosphere of my brother's locality and his good neighbors' intimacy, even though the language was a barrier, they tried their best to make us to feel at home manner.After many internal and external good feasts,in and around my brother's place we were ready to leave for our own destination.

   From that day of our leaving for our place my elder daughter kept on cheering up her sis by saying,"Sis! we are going to see our Dad!".With that sort of excitement she turned and asked me,"Will Dad come to the station to take us home?We miss him so much.He should have come with us to enjoy all these.Next time definitely we should take him with us".Like this,with so many versions of my daughter with different sort of excitements we reached our place.

   When we reached our place, my mother-in-law visited us from our native place and she had been staying with my sister-in law for one week who was also living there ten kilometers from our place.My daughter,"Grandma! When did you come?"."Last week"."Where did you stay?."At Aunt's place"."Why didn't you stay here to prepare meals for my Dad? You should have stayed here to look after my Dad you know".My mother-in-law didn't know what to say.

   

3.The Smart Strides of Small Kids.

    Many times, the deeds of the smart kids lead us to a good self analysis indeed.On the other day myself and my elder angel daughter were travelling in a public transport system from our native place to our place.
The bus was crowded heavily that everyone was suffocating.However,my brother was able to reserve seats for me and my daughter with the help of his conductor friend who was on his duty in the same bus.With a good relief,we two settled down comfortably.

   After some time when we were looking around,my daughter spotted a girl around five years old who was struggling hard to stand between the supporting system, the steel rod between the seats in the bus and her mother.Her mother was not able to lift her daughter to her shoulder.In no time my daughter who was doing her collage,dragged the child to our side tactfully,and with her mother's permission, my daughter let the child be on her lap.The child felt so happy but immediately she wanted to know whether it would be all right with her mother who was standing by our side.The girl felt that her mother's nod was a good gesture,she felt so so happy and comfortably threw her head back to see my daughter and sent a warm smile.A bit later I could recognize them as the family who were working for my paternal uncle and were in charge of his agriculture,
staying in his out house.

   The hustle bustle in the bus was as usual,but the ray of the warm smile of this unknown girl was unusual.
Because I happened to see many children of this age who were very aggressive to be with their parents and were even  not at all ready to see the face of the person who tried to play with them.My daughter might also felt the same.She was so curious and sent back her warmer smile to that girl who was looking upon my daughter's face,expecting a good response it seemed.

   The next stage of determined stage i.e the conversational stage started between the two smiling faces.My daughter,

"Hi sweet girl may I know your name "?

With that lovely shyness of the childhood,the girl uttered her name.

"Very sweet name which suits you so nicely".

Again with the same beautiful shyness,"Do you like my name".

"Of course!Are you going to school?".

"Yes"

"Which class?"

"Eighth standard"

My giggled daughter  looked at the girl's mother.She was also giggling.

Noticed the beautiful bangles the girl wearing,my daughter,"Ah! your bangles are so beautiful!Would you give it to me".

With a mingling laughter with her sweet words,"Oh!Oh! these small bangles don't suit you.I will get you bigger bangles from the shop.More over I have some beautiful and colorful joined beads at our place to wear around our neck.You come to my house.I will give you.And I have some play things.If you like anything you can have it". She kept on telling about giving something.What a wonderful mind that little girl had and how disciplined the girl had been raised to understand the meaning and the beauty about the act of "Giving"even though they had unhealthy financial background.I was so impressed.

   Giving is something a very good act. Many of us fail to understand the goodness of this act where the the donor as well as the  receiver get benefited.

Giving love helps one's life for a peace and development,

Giving respect helps one to get refined,

Giving space helps for a fresh air for a deep breath to help our brain to be active,

Giving courage helps one to take risks on research basis,

Giving support, helps one to balance himself to get a firm grip before his next stride,

Giving confidence,helps one to step up in the next level,

Giving good useful suggestions,helps one to explore in new venture,

Giving help in need,helps one to pursue one's journey

Giving real compliments gives one a good enthusiasm that makes one to get refined oneself.

Giving chance to one's mistakes to get corrected, it helps one to be with more consciousness to get back

one's own track and so on.

   When we are ready to open our eyes and mind,we have a lot to learn from these sort of smart kids.

2.The Smart Strides of Small Kids.

   When I happen to notice some smart strides of kids, that childhood of the every child I feel that it is no doubt it is the childhood of God himself.Their impeccable mind,words and their activities all are real and wonderful.

   My eldest nephew was doing his forth standard.At that time,as our native place is a hill station,that particular year of North West Monsoon brought a part of our 70 years old house down.I think it made him so sad.Reconstruction works were going on.My nephew's love on my parents,i.e.on his grand parents was and is an inexplicable one.It is legendary.He was and is always with full of beans.On those of his school days,he got up very early in the morning along with his grand parents with that glittering face as the rising sun.

   At his early age itself,he was quite a good observer.He was the apple of my parents' eye.He was always ready with all his smiling face to do any odd jobs for the sake of my parents and the other members of our family.On those reconstructing days,his only aim seemed to be to wipe out his Grand Parents misery on their collapsed house.Before the construction labors arrived,he kept asking," Grandpa!what work will get done to-day?.Shall I clear these debris?Shall I arrange the bricks in order?Shall I fill this drum with the water from the street tap with the help of this small bucket?.How long our house will take to get done?.How many labors are going to turn up to-day?Why don't we arrange for more labors to get our house done quickly?".

   His non-stop questions were on their way in different versions for the same answer.My parents showered
love on him as he was the first Grand Child of our family.His arrival,i.e.the first member of the very next generation of our family, brought us a pleased atmosphere with different feelings of happiness.While these constructions works were going on,my father was very particular about his studies.He tried his best to help him to go with his studies well in the middle of this debris.But as we belonged to agriculture family and as we had cattle and poultry, my mother and all other family members were depending on him on various tasks with no intervals.But all those interruption, never made him get angry or exhausted.With the same warm answer and  with the same glittering face he did extend all his help for his age.

   One day morning,as usual the reconstruction works were going on.His friend as usual came there to remind him the time for going to school.My nephew's answer was that serious,"To-day I have some work".In his serious version it was that obvious that he badly wanted his Grand Parents to get back their good home as early as possible.By telling this he himself was being ready to be a helper to the constructing labors.Watching this, my father,burst out laughing and my nephew was convinced in one way or the other to accompany his friend to go to school.

   Still he is in the good books of his mother's as well as his father's relatives.Now he owns a concern and makes it work successfully.He has his own beautiful family and tries his best to make his family to be in the good books of our family circle through his constant visits along with his family.

 

1.The Smart Strides of Small Kids-Part I

   Many times I wonder myself  about the listless ' Smart Strides ' of small kids' on many occasion.In fact we are missing many opportunities to notice,observe,wonder,enjoy,learn and being proud about  our kids' 'Smart Strides'.No doubt,every kid of their own generation seems to be displaying these countless, unbelievable smart strides related to their atmosphere.

   My Grandson when he was about fifteen months old,he happened to watch a heated argument on some issues between we four of the family.Myself,my husband,my two angel daughters.As we had no sense that we were creating something unhealthy atmosphere in front of our loving toddler,the argument was going on endlessly.Watching for some time,by keep transferring his attention from one person to other, he suddenly moved towards our younger daughter and stood in front of her with such a state of determination.

   God only knew,what he could understand.With his own oral language and with his own body language,nearly for half a minute he gave his aunt a nice scolding.Then he stopped abruptly.Then he kept on watching her face with such a keen attention.In a moment we all were stunned.We dragged him back to help him to escape from his aunt's wrath.Still, when we happen to talk about this incident,we are in good bewilderment.

   In an another incident,the same toddler was about one and half year old.His father had been sent by his company, to take some his job related training abroad.Some of our relatives were there in their place for a warm sendoff.As the beds were made in the different places of the home,the toddler's dad's bed was happened to be in the drawing room.The very next day his father was about to move for his destination.

   As usual the toddler was made to sleep at his usual time, in his usual place i.e. his parents's bedroom.
Around midnight he got up,and got down from the bed,without disturbing any one of us and moved towards his father who was sleeping on his back.The toddler settled on his father's chest,gave him a good hug and kept on kissing him on his both cheeks for some time and had a good night sleep with him.The next day when his father disclosed his lovely son's lovely act, we all were in good astonishment.How could he sense that his father would be moving for some other place,leaving him  back for some time?. On that particular day's midnight,in his half sleep,how could the toddler locate his father's bed?.God only knows.

   Strong love bonds always make an opportunity to bring the related people together either through good scoldings or through good hugging I observed.