I had been observing him for a long time. This time when I saw him again, an idea hit me. I chatted with him and took his phone number. He was too sweet and introduced me to his parents. With hellos and smiles, and general chit-chat, it was time to discuss business. With a lot of apprehensions, I shared my idea with them. I was expecting some resistance from their side but they floored me with an instant happy YES! In fact, they had been wanting for such a thing to happen for a long time.
I shared the developments with KG and he was perfectly in sync with it too.
We discussed the plan with Aaryan and he was non-committal about it, initially! Finally, a day before the D-day, he showed some reaction by flooding his eyes with tears! We tried to understand his reaction and addressed his concerns. And we had a boy who was all excited and who looked forward to the experience.
Yes, for the first time in 2 years, Aaryan went without me or KG, to school, after his Diwali break.
Last night, he went with his school mate and a senior from our city. With loads of instructions and guidelines, the 2 boys boarded the Volvo bus. Aaryan was thrilled to realize that he is considered a big responsible boy.
Since, it is a single bus that plies between the 2 cities, and also that we are frequent travellers, the bus driver and conductor were familiar to us. A word to them about the 2 boys and we were assured of their safety.
Today, in the morning, I got a call from an unknown number, I received the call and it was my big baby boy, calling from an STD/PCO at midway. What made me happy was that amongst the million instructions that we had given to Aaryan, calling from an STD/PCO was not a part of that! He informed about the first half of the journey and that at the midway he met some more school mates who were traveling in groups too and a mishap that he had lost his spectacles sometimes during the night! He had kept his glasses in the bus seat pocket before sleeping last night and it seemed they slipped from there and travelled elsewhere!! The boys searched but couldn’t locate the pair! Fortunately, he has 2 sets of glasses at school.
The whole morning after that was spent in looking at the wall clock and waiting for the clock to strike 2 pm and the phone to ring! And it did ring to inform in a happy chirpy voice that he is back at school.
A new experience… a step towards being responsible for your own self.
42 Responses
Awwww… A proud moment for the parents and the big boy. 🙂
Thanks Jyothi! Really glad that he took this first step! 🙂
Always a bittersweet experience to see your kids come into their own.
True… an experience that is laced with apprehensions and amazement!
Got reminded of my own travels to my college . 24 hours by train and then few hours by road. I can imagine what feelings would have gone through my parents minds. This is a wonderful feat in a school going age. You can be proud of your baby I mean boy 🙂
Agree, as parents we may be very apprehensive, but I have been seeing kids from Aaryan’s school traveling with me in the same bus since the last 2 years. Seeing them behave so responsibly when traveling alone or wit friends gave me the confidence that Aaryan can do it too! And his happy voice is still ringing in my ears, it meant like a big achievement for him! 🙂
Wow, this is so great…I remember that feeling myself when at 15 my parents allowed me to travel 18 hours from D’shala to Shimla…ALONE! That was my first and after that I was simply on my own 🙂
I am sure Aryan will cherish this memory forever. Good going Shilpa!
I can relate to your experience, Kajal! The exciting feeling of new found freedom coupled with responsibility… a wow combination!
I am sure he will and that is why I am saving it on my blog for posterity too! 🙂
I was also brave when I was young – I traveled 1.5 KM by local bus to school daily for one year. Only in the evenings, school bus came in the mornings 😛
Destination Infinity
PS: Congrats – he would most probably want to go on an adventure trip, next 🙂
Wow! Local bus travel helps you learn a lot of things!!
He has already been on an adventure trip to Manali!
It is a defining moment alright Shilpa, when you finally decide that your child is capable of traveling such a long distance on its own no matter what safety rails you place around your child. For the child it is a sense of freedom and responsibility at the same time, glad Aaryan handled himself admirably and reached safe. To this date whenever I travel between places I always call my mom to inform her it was all smooth…
You are bang on, Reshma! The sense of freedom and responsibility can help a child learn a lot! I know the feeling, an SMS or a call can help ease a lot of stress, especially for parents who have this innate habit of worrying a lot! Even I do the same, still! 🙂
This is the wheel of life. As children grow up they become independent. After some years they care for the parents as we do for them.
Well said, Ma’am. The circle of life goes on like that… 🙂
Congratulations to the little big boy for being a responsible and bold boy. Shilpa, i had a similar experience recently when my 16 year old took learners licence and drove on one of the busiest roads where army trucks and high way buses ply. Yes, indeed that’s a step towards making them independant at the same time assuring we are at the back to help them.
Wow! I can imagine the exhilaration and the sense of achievement on driving through a busy road!! That’s the way to do it, Asha… let them explore but be there to help/support too! Thank you 🙂
I know how difficult that decision would have been, but was a much needed step in letting go…..merely knowing that our kiddos are growing up, and actually accepting that they are growing up are two different things… bravo Shilpa and bravo Aryan!
Absolutely! As parents, it is tough to let go, but it is important to do so too at the right time! I read this somewhere ‘parents rarely let go of their children, so children let go of them’… guess that’s a terrible situation to be in!
Wow that’s huge. As a parent I can empathise completely .. I would need greater courage than my kids for step like this.
I know what you mean, T!! It is difficult to fathom now but guess, you will be all prepared and ready when the time comes. 🙂
Ah! Soon we will be hearing teenage tales… those will be my favorite!!!
LOL 😀 I am waiting with bated breath for that stage too! Fingers crossed! 😀
Awww!! He sure has grown up!!
Glad to know he reached school safely and happily !
Yes, a big boy now! 🙂
Thks Pixie 🙂
Congratulations. Aaryan is growing up – the right way.
Thks SG 🙂 Hope so… fingers crossed!
It is no mean achievement. Be it for you or him! I remember how I had felt when I had travelled alone for the 1st time!
Yes, looks like a big thing now, as an afterthought! 😀
How did you feel when you traveled alone for the first time. How old were you then?
From a baby to a boy, Nice transition and a proud moment. 🙂
Yes… a transition it is!! Thanks Hari! Good to see you after a long time! How have you been?
Yeah fine 🙂 My final year and it was taxing. Now a little free. 🙂 Nice to come back and read all the posts 🙂
Congratulations for completing the final year! What plans now? More studies or work?? All the best for your future endeavors, Hari 🙂
Eight semester is there still. but relatively very free. Got a job offer. Waiting for higher studies results too. Have to decide and pick 🙂 And thanks 🙂
That’s awesome! Great going, Hari! Good luck 🙂
Thanks again 🙂 Hope to be a regular reader here again.
😎
Very good thing that you did. That instills confidence in them. I let my son travel to India when he was 4 and 1/2 with our friends. Later, he went to Canada when he was 8 all by himself and then to India when he was nine again all by himself. 🙂
Wow!! That’s super cool!! I am sure that would have given loads of confidence to the sonny boy!! Way to go, Latha 🙂
That’s a very good thing to do. Travelling alone just adds so much of responsibility and confidence in children. Way to go 🙂
Yeah, that was the idea behind the exercise. Thks Sheethal 🙂
It is such a pleasure for parents to see their boy growing tup to be a man
Yes it is!! 😛 🙂