1. Why parents never say NO to their children when…

• They throw tantrums in a shop or mall.

• They spoil things at other people’s houses, like driving a toy car on the glass table or banging on it with something thereby putting scratches on it, writing with crayons on the walls, jumping up and down on the sofa, cutting bed-sheet with scissors (if they can lay their hands on it). I am not talking about the general pilferage of cold drinks and juices or even water on the carpet or smashing the chips into million pieces on the bed or putting toys and food items in the fish bowl.

• They humiliate them in public. I am a witness to certain parents being slapped (real hard) or kicked by their kids or being called names. And the parents respond with a weak smile or an embarrassed look.

• They say something really nasty to other kids.

2. Why people believe in monologues on phone. Picture this: “Hello, this is me. How are you? I am sure you are good and we are good too. You know X has done this and Y has finished that. We are going for vacations there and Z is coming here. My MIL is this and my sister is that. My cat gave birth to 6 kittys and it’s very hot in Timbaktoo. OK got to keep the phone down. Bye”

And all you get to say is Hmm..ms or OK and sometimes not even that!