Curious Minds

It is fascinating to watch our little ones with curious minds. Anyone who would glance at my son’s face would say, “Boy! This guy must be naughty!!” Well, that’s a truth that we dreadfully endure every single day. He is three and half years old. He has, so far, broken his collar bone, sprained his neck, hands and legs and, last week, he got his feet stuck in the rear wheel of a bicycle. After an X-ray, we were relieved to know that there was no fracture. His hands and legs are spotted with scars. He is a full time job. During our first parents’ meeting at my son’s school, as we were watching the teacher expressing her concerns, quite generously, to other parents, I told my wife, “Well, your son is no angel. Don’t’ expect any accolades. It is going to be a long day.” Understandably, the teacher did not wear a smile for most of the time. When it was our turn, my wife and I were exceptionally focused and were prepared for the long list of complaints. The teacher smiled at us and said, “No problem. He is a good kid. You can go.” Stunned!! I had every reason to believe that the teacher had mistaken us for some other kid’s parents. As the teacher read our perplexed faces, she said, “why? Is Abrie naughty at home?” I was very proud of my son until he started his rampant stunts inside the car on our way back home.

This guy is full of surprises. Last week, the teacher had asked my wife to wait so that she could have a word with my wife. Since my wife is the PTA (Parents Teachers Association) rep, my wife also had a few matters to discuss with the teacher. To her surprise it was not for the PTA. It was a complaint against my son.

That early morning, he had raised his hand to say something. He stood up and showed an object that completely perplexed the teacher. It happened to be a “weight” of a pressure cooker. My wife’s meticulous preparation, especially in terms of child safety, for my son is exceptional. What made him carry that? When did he get that? Why? How? All these questions are still a mystery to us.

His curiosity intrigued me and cracked me up. Thanks to his curiousness, he now goes through a security clearance procedure, including strip-searching, before leaving for school. And I am sure he is breaking all the security codes all the time.