The Parenting Rollercoaster

The joys of parenting come beautifully wrapped in some very socially awkward moments, the memories of which render you rolling with laughter in hindsight, but have the misfortune of leaving you red with embarrassment at the time of its occurrence, when suddenly every adult human around you is striving to appear normal- their eyes betraying their intentions as they force shift their focus, suppressing that smile (or laugh) for later.

When Little Princess was a little more than a year old (more precisely when she discovered her passion for exploring the world), I was standing at the supermarket counter, balancing a happy toddler on one hand while pushing a trolley full of purchases on the other.

While my attention was focused on racking my brain for a reasonable explanation to Sid’s bizarre questions, Little Princess’s eyes fancied the string (on the behind of the dress) of the lady who stood before us. She tugged at it and it came undone. Luckily for the unfortunate lady (and me), the dress stood its place and she was quick to tie it back while cutting my apologies with her cold glare intent on my perplexed red face.

Over the years, embarrassing moments have been reduced to Little Princess screwing her little face, showing her disapproval with a loud ‘YUCK’ when the waiter brings in our much-awaited dinner at a crowded restaurant, causing people sitting around us to peer at our choice of food when we are not looking; or screaming out ‘Mommy, there is Princess Elsa’ when she spots that one woman wearing a long dress in a mall full of weekend shoppers; or retching and throwing up in an elevator full of people, followed by a sweet apology, “I am Sorry.”

Well, no one said parenting was easy!