I am not a big fan of media, though I do like to stay updated about whats going on in the world around me. But getting these updates from any source of media be it the newspaper, TV, Internet and even the basic Twitter has become quite a challenge and a matter of opportunity for me.

It’s not cause of a strike by newspaper hawkers, neither is it due to issues with our dish antenna connection, nor hassles of broadband or electricity, but something graver. The cause is getting bigger by the day.

It’s none other than Pari. Read on to understand my plight.

She has developed a strong fascination for the rustling sound of turning pages. Her favorite being the newspaper pages, but she being an unconditional lover, is totally impartial towards magazines, pamphlets and even books. The minute she spots me with a newspaper, she gets restless. She has to have it. I try to act smart and give her an old newspaper to play with. But, in no-time she is ready to snatch and tear the paper I am busy with.

At first I thought, it’s the fun of hearing the paper rustle as she tries to tear it into bits, but gradually a bigger picture became clear. It has do more with me than the fun of tearing or the sound produced. Pari dislikes my attention being divided, especially when it is with anything she can take control of. The minute she sees my eyes move away from her, you can see her following my gaze. If it happens to be someone other than her grandparents and Woof-woof. She gets charged to attack.

Last week, it took me a lot of energy to finish the book I was reading. The book was so interesting that I didn’t want to put it down and Pari wouldn’t let me read it. She would throw a tantrum the minute I’d get hold of the book and attack it in an attempt to tear it. I am very particular about my books. I protect them with all my might and seeing a brand-new book being torn is too much for me to bear. At the same time, I can’t upset my little princess. So I found out a solution.

I waited for her to fall asleep after lunch, and the minute I tucked her in the blanket, I pounced like a hungry tigress to read the book. I had hardly read five-six pages, when I sneezed aloud. Ah! that woke up Pari and I had to hide the book one more time. I was determined to find a solution to this problem, so I waited for her to sleep at night.

She rarely wakes up in the midnight and never before a good three to four hours sleep. So I finally tucked myself in the blanket and began reading at a rapid-fire pace as if I was to write an exam the following morning. I let out a sigh of relief on managing to read a good 100 pages, just when I realized two anxious eyes staring at me from the side. Shaken as if hit by a stroke of lightning, I spotted Pari to have rolled to lie exactly by my side trying to catch a glimpse of what I was so engrossed in.

I tried hard to put her back to sleep, but she flatly refused. I tried to cover myself in the blanket turn my back towards her and read. She attacked my blanket and tried her best to get inside to find out what was I upto.

In no time, she grew cranky when I refused to hand over the colorful book lying by our side. Just then I decided to get in control of the situation. I made Pari sit in my lap in a way that she could actually read the book along with me. She stared at the book for a good ten minutes, but couldn’t understand a word of what was making her mum laugh hysterically. (Sorry sweetie I know you can’t read at this stage).

But, it being late at night she decided to sleep and not fight like she does in day-time. I read through the book and finished it over two nights (for reading in day is basically out of question).

I have never been fond of watching TV, but sometimes enjoy watching a comedy movie to freshen up. Since I succeeded in calming down Pari while reading a book, I tried to apply the same trick while watching TV. I sat her in my lap so that she too could see the TV and be with me at the same time. She stared at the movie for five-ten minutes then turned her head to see what was I upto. I gently stroked her hair, so she took it as a cue to play and there started her usual attempts to pull my hair, pull things from nearby shelves and the like.

After trying for a while she finally calmed down and we again continued watching the TV and she turned around, this time I tried to ignore her and continued staring at the TV screen. She quietly counted till five in her head and started crying for I wasn’t paying any attention to her. Hence, I do not see TV these days.

The last resort left is Internet. Ah! I know Pari doesn’t like me using the laptop much, but what she has started doing now means I need to take her actions to discipline me seriously. Encouraged by her success in stopping me from watching TV, now whenever Pari spots me in vicinity of a laptop she tries her best to get in my lap. She’ll stare the screen for a while, if it has nothing to amuse her (she loves the screen saver though) she’ll try to play with me to distract me from using laptop.

If I shut down immediately, she is happy. But if I try to be the stubborn parent, I am inviting trouble. She’ll start by getting cranky, which in no time turns to her trying to attack the laptop mouse and keys with her feet. In an attempt of stopping her from doing so, I pick her up in my arms. That’s the final attack position, for then she busies herself pulling my hair and scratching me in protest.

The outcome. The laptop is turned off immediately.

Moral of the story: Listen to your kids, else they know how to get their message across, effectively!

The song on my mind: