Do the Math


Hey Koko,

Cuteness doesn’t get you everything in life. That’s the profound message I am leaving you with today. <Laughs>

No actually, when it comes to you, cuteness does get you a lot of things. However, I take nothing away from your excellent negotiation skills.

So I was sitting with you in your toy room like an average unsuspecting parent; playing along as you were the captain of your pirate ship and I was your backup, when suddenly you wanted some chocolates. Now this puppy dog look and earnest request is not something a mother’s heart won’t melt at. So I smile and give you a cube of your favorite chocolate.

But whoever was happy with just one, right? So obviously, you ask for another and another. I think I am the brainier of the two of course! So I quickly design a game around it. The last parent teacher meeting I went to informed me that you are a lazy writer and not up to speed with counting. I ask you to hold up fingers and count.

Diligent little boy that you are, you hold out one finger on this hand and one from the other and say “1 plus 1, 2”. Lo, and behold, I have made a conquest and I turn around to see there’s no one to appreciate this victory. I am not discouraged, I continue with this math exercise at the expense of bad tooth health (must remember to brush immediately after) for some time. You mix numbers, once it’s a 2 and the other time it’s a 3. We are slowly graduating to some serious addition. I am beaming with pride seeing you add up to 5 or 6.

Then suddenly, just I when I was in too deep, you pull out your trump card – two fingers up and, “Mumma, 1 and 1 is 11, so give me 11 chocolates”. I am stunned, what do I say, I try the line of argument that we are adding numbers and 10’s place and value of individual numbers and a very many things. You say, “Get 11 chocolates, why are you so late?”; and you have that mischievous smile which tells me you know exactly what you are playing at!

Let’s see what other tricks you got up your sleeve.

You ain’t fooling me next time,
Mumma.




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