For the third time now, Ash has thrown such a tantrum before
he enters someone's house that we had planned to visit. The first time around,
I guess he was disappointed because he was under the impression that we were to
visit Fun City, the play area at City Center... understandable. Umpteen
attempts to appease him by offering him chocolates, his favorite custard apple or
orange, just failed. Not for a second he put his feet inside the house.
Apparently, they are people whom he has never seen before and are aliens to
him! Believe me it was so embarrassing! Either of us had to keep him on the street
just outside the house, with one or the other members of the host trying to
engage him in a conversation. Only just when he left, he looked up at the
hosts and bade a happy farewell.
Being the great hosts they were, they did not mind much of
this happening and visited our house two days later with a gift for him, a
motorized bike. Even now, unfortunately, they were around just when he woke up
and as cranky as he ever would be after waking up, he exhibited even more
resistance, and just did not enter the place they were seated. After an hour or
so, he was okay and came around to be in the same room as they were. And after
a while, he was interested in the bike. And even later, he did not mind being
carried by them for a few minutes. Such was the case, in spite of the fact that
the cycle is his dearest possession, and the gift the most amazing toy that Ash has
ever been gifted!
The next time around it was my mom's turn to bear the brunt.
She had taken him to her sister's place, and over there the lift played the
spoilsport. Wherever he goes, if he sees the lift or the escalator, he would
turn blind to anything else other than these modes of commutation. My mom had
to wait for half an hour before he agreed to enter the house. And after he did,
he thoroughly enjoyed the stay and had a long heart to leave the place.
The last time the showdown with the aliens happened was when
we had visited my friend's place to see the newborn in their house. My friend
first kid is an 8-year old son and there is no dearth for play items. Of course he does
not about it… I can’t believe that he was throwing a tantrum the third time
around! He went to the extent that he started going down the stairs that led to
the house. Neither candies nor sweet talk worked. Thankfully, the car and the
jeep came to rescue now, and after he started seeing his stuff, he was at peace
and more of that. Unfortunately, we had to leave in 15 minutes because it was
already too late in the night and already past dinner time.
The icing on the cake was when the next day he woke up and
started crying because he wanted to go to anna's house. I had to pacify him
saying we will make a visit after dad comes home. As it usually happens with
kids, he did not bring it up again. I guess as he grows older, the fear of
strangers and general social stigma issues come up. And then, as time goes by
and the children start schooling, I suppose, they gradually get over them. However, the
next day, I summarized all these three incidents to him and told that he must
be a good boy when we visit someone's house so that he gets more play time.
Let's see what happens next time!
