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Business News/ Opinion / Online-views/  D-Day is here
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D-Day is here

D-Day is here

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These days the husband and I squabble about only one topic: Babyjaan.

I believe motherhood has softened most of my hard edges (even if my colleagues and family haven’t noticed), and much to my surprise, I am the more easy-going of Babyjaan’s parents. There’s an odd mismatch in the discipline genes of Susegad (him) vs South Bombay (me).

So when we were drinking with a friend recently we asked him how he and his wife divvy up parental power. “Oh, she sets the rules, I execute them," he said.

Hmm. Not that easy to do when you’re married to a man who has the ability to cook gourmet food for the baby and you every day, right? And who is as good a mother as you will ever be.

Another friend suggested we try the All American Time Out approach. That good old “I’m counting to three and I want you to do it before I complete" strategy. Babyjaan is obviously made of sterner stuff. “1, 2...," I said. “3," she completed happily.

Of course millions of experts have debated toddler discipline and come up with extremely helpful tips such as take charge, set limits. I have my own mantra to add to the garbage of generalities. “Be nice," I tell Babyjaan. I even bought her a T-shirt with that slogan.

I think the husband and me have finally reached an uneasy truce. We calmly announce that she will be punished, then, if she persists, we take her to the nearest room and firmly shut the door. One minute for a one-year-old, 2 minutes for a two-year-old, the friend who recommended the Time Out approach instructed. Babyjaan just turned 2 but thus far, I’ve only managed to grip the door handle tightly for 40 seconds before my heart explodes in response to her plaintive Mama-Papa, Mama-Papa chant.

Yes I know she’s conning me, but the way I figure, this country already has more than its share of disciplined women. I’d rather my daughter grow up knowing exactly how to stir things up.

Write to me at lounge@livemint.com

Also Read |Priya Ramani’s previous columns

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Published: 08 Jun 2012, 09:24 PM IST
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