P: Pintsized wit 2

I met this amazing kid A, who is my cousin's son. He's got an amazing sense of humour and an answer to pretty much anything under the sun. And he is all of five years old!

Sample this conversation I had with him recently.

Me: So, A, what is your favourite subject in school?

A: Maths

Me:What do you like in Maths?

A: Addition, subtraction and everything

Me: Can I ask you a question on it?

A: Of course. I know everything.

Me: Oh wow. Do you know multiplication and tables?

A (hesitating a little): yes

Me: So, do you know 7 tables?

A: yes

Me: So tell me, what is 7 times one?

A: I need a paper and a pen to tell you.

Me: Ummm I think lets do it without paper and pen.

A: Hmmmm ok

Me: So tell me, what is 7 times one?

A (with a defiant look!): 8!

I was too amused to answer for a second.

And A continued: Do you want to know the rest?

Me: Sure

A: 18, 28, 38, 48....

Confidence, thy name is A! God save your teachers!

N: Numbers

So, we have been teaching Pickles to count. To make it fun, we count whatever we possibly can. For instance, we count the number of steps as we're climbing a flight of stairs. We count the number of buses and cars on the street and so on. Pickles loves doing it and keeps counting whenever he has a chance.

Recently, I heard him on the balcony of my in-law's place screaming "one hyena, two hyena.." and so on. Surprised, I went out to find him looking at a herd of goats in a small compound downstairs. You see, he's only seen both goats and hyenas in books. And recently he's been reading a book with a hyena character.

"Sweetheart, those are not hyenas. They are goats", I told him gently.

"No, no, hyena, hyena", he countered.

"Baby, but you know hyenas live in forests. These are goats living in the city", I tried to reason.

And then, he just pointed to a nearby cluster of trees and said, "Forest, hyena home!"

Parental Paranoia!

When Pickles and I reached the park yesterday, one little kid was waiting for us. He was Pickles' new friend, who he had played with on the day before. As soon as we got there, he came running to us all excited.

And he handed Pickles one of his toys, a gun!

Now, I have this thing that I don't want Pickles to play with guns at all. Not that he is never going to be exposed to it. He will be but I prefer it to be at an age when he can understand the perils and he can decide for himself if he still wants to play with it (I pray not!). I don't like the idea of watching kids shoot at each other without really understanding what it means. Call me paranoid but I don't want to raise a violent kid.

So here I was, unsure about what to do. I knew that this little boy had made an attempt to share his toys, which is a big thing at that age! And I did not want to discourage him. I also wanted Pickles to make a new friend and learn to share his toys as well. But I didn't want him learning to shoot with guns. As I was still contemplating what to do, Pickles quickly took the gun from the little boy. I just stood there, dazed!

Pickles behaved like any toddler with a new toy would, he was super excited. He didnt know what it was. So first, he set to explore it. Then he checked if it was breakable, he threw it to the floor. When he saw the other kid making sounds with it, he tried to press buttons on his toy to check if it would make the same sounds. Once it did, he clapped his tiny hands with glee. Finally, he decided it was closest to a airplane and started to "fly" it with his hands held high. Soon enough, he was bored with it. He put the gun on the floor and went to find something else that had caught his attention. And the other little boy followed suit.

And I wonder why I worry so much. :/

Pintsized wit

Pickles and I go to the children's playground every evening. It is our special time together.
We've made lots of new friends in the last few months. I am always amused by some of the thought processes of these kids. 

Overheard at the children's playground.


Kid 1: I'm superman!
Me: Ok. then Pickles is Batman.
Kid 1: No, he is not!
Me: Why?
Kid 1: He cannot be Batman. You can be Batman.
Me: But why?
Kid 1: Because you are Batman
Me: Oh, and he?
Kid 1: He can be Robin!
Me: Ok. But why?
Kid 1: Because Superman and Batman can fly. Robin cannot!


Continued with the same kid on another day
Me: Hello, Superman!
Kid 1: No, I'm Batman.
Me: Why?
Kid 1: Beacuse Batman can also fly.
Me: But, Batman cannot fly. Only Superman can.
Kid1: How do you know? I saw on TV.
Me: I saw on TV too. Batman cannot fly.
Kid 1: On my TV, Batman can fly! Your TV is spoilt!


Kid 3: Can you wait for a while longer? There is still some bubble solution left in the gun.
Me: It's ok. Leave some for tomorrow.
Kid 3: Oh! I'm not sure I will come tomorrow!
Me: :/


Kid 4 played with Pickles' ball and his truck and his bubble gun.
Me: Oh! Pickles has to go home now. Bye!
Kid 1: Can you bring his guns tomorrow. I like playing with guns.
Me: Oh! Pickles has no guns. Why don't you bring your own?
Kid 1(Totally ignoring my question): Just bring whatever toys he has. It's ok!


Kid 5 played with Pickles and his ball for a while.
Kid 5: I'm bored now. Lets play run and catch now.
Me: But Pickles is too little. He can't chase you.
Kid 5: But you can! Let him play with his ball and you can chase me.


Me to Kid 6: Hello there!
Kid 6: Hello! My name is xyz.
Me: Hello, xyz! His name is Pickles.
Kid 6 (totally ignoring an excited Pickles):But what is your name? I want to be friends with you!
Me: Oh ok. My name is Maya. Now can you be friends with Pickles too.
Kid 6: He is too little to be friends with me.
Me: How old are you?
Kid 6: Four!