On Motherhood

Please welcome the new guest blogger Ammayee and she writes about the trials of being a mother of a monster child called 'me'.

I am a woman and mother of two grown-up children, I am proud of it and I owe it to my father who believed that educating a girl child was important in the days when women's education was considered to be no good. Now I teach and inspire my students about the importance of getting an education and earning a better livelihood for themselves and their offspring. Indeed an educated mother would educate her children and contribute back to the society in more ways than a father.

Changing Times

I grew up in a large joint family , always surrounded by five younger siblings and half a dozen rowdy cousins, loving grandparents , many aunts, uncles and endless flow of relatives visiting our house in the village.

We learnt the joy of sharing and values naturally, by the time I had my first child times had indeed changed, my first child grew up with his heap of story books and comics while I was out working. The joint family system had long disappeared. But at the end of the day, despite my tiredness I made sure that the my child never felt for the loss of my company. Perhaps this made an impression on children's personality, making them lovable and responsible. Do you think that an ayaa (house maid) would have done a better job?. Perhaps she might look after the children but no one can replace the role of mother.

As a Teacher

Education is important, but not at the cost of one's childhood. The other days I visited a doctor who kept on insisting that his 9 year old child is not doing enough (that is to satisfy his parents desires). After two hours of tennis practice and five hours of school and a hour of Abacus training, he wants the poor child to attend some classes to improve his English language. This sounds absurd to me and that too coming from such an educated parent and a doctor who should know the importance of happy and stress free childhood. As a teacher this is story all around and makes me wonder if the meaning of 'Education' has taken a totally different shape altogether. I feel that I must have failed as a teacher somewhere.

As a mother, I was the best friend to my younger child and her hoards of friends who tagged along. Even today after she left for her college studies aboard I would get stopped sometimes on my way to work by her friends who say 'Aunt, we missing polishing off your chicken curry'. Ask yourself whether you are a guide and counsellor to your children and remember this the true education is imparted by you as a mother. I would love to her your motherhood experiences, Please do share them here !.