Ira and we had another First moment in our lives recently. She went on her first school excursion. What an exciting few weeks it has been from the prep to it actually happening. This blog post is my way to capture and archive this 'First'. Remember, I live in hope that Ira will some day read all my blogposts. Ok. At least some of them. At least those that are about 'Her'.
18th December 2022 marked an important milestone for a group of eight to nine year olds and their parents. The little human beings were going on a school excursion, a first for almost everyone. Some of them had stayed away from parents but with grandparents for a while, like Ira did for 17 days when we had Covid. But this was a whole new ball game.
While the children were mostly excited and making a lot of noise, the parents through humor, conversations and smiles were expressing the tumultous journey of the butterflies in their tummy. A parent even said how there was last minute separation anxiety.
The concerns ranged from it being the first train travel for some, to whether they can live in the rural set up to can they adjust to an Indian toilet. Will they be able to board and alight the train safely, manage the food and for me specifically, hope Ira doesn't have any reactions to insect bites! Some of you may brush these concerns aside calling them silly, but trust me, they are real, they are big concerns and they do seem like huge mountains to cross. Some, like Ira ke Papa were of course pretty cool and chilled out. I am extremely emotional as a person and was quite worried that I would end up bawling as the train left. But much to Prashant's amusement, that didn't happen :)
The underlying thought across was will they be all fine, without us- the parents. From the train coming to the two meticulous lines disbanding in chaos because the coach moved further than where it had to halt, the kids all climbed on to the train in 2-3 mins of the halt along with their teachers. We said our byes, walked home with our partners and braced ourselves for the next few days. We were to call only in case of an emergency and a whatsapp group was created where pics would be shared every day. The ask seemed very rational given the teachers had to manage fifteen children.
Circa, 23rd December 2022
The little human beings completed their wonderful trip and were back home. Each of them full of stories, arising from new experiences and wonderful experimental moments.
Ira came home along with a dear friend and then through the course of the day shared little stories about her trip. She spoke about liking her train journey and meeting a Dr. Satya on the way to Talguppa in the train and how the Dr. was very familiar with the route. Ira has earlier done a train journey only twice, once to Trivandrum and once to Mysore. She liked the middle berth and even slept quite well, in her words :)
The kids shared some chores at the home stay where they were divided into groups and they had to serve food on plaintain leaves, ensure no food was spilt, wrap their bedsheets in the morning, get the firewood going for hot water. The home stay was in Talguppa and had a single bathroom that a large group shared. So, bath time was divided and the groups took the ownership of getting things ready. The trip involved nature walks, where they encountered different insects and ants; visit to a dam, a power generation plant, a fort, some temples and even Jog falls. For posterity, a printed photograph of the group made it's way to our home and our hearts. Eating a meal of rice, rasam, brown chana and payasam at a temple was a whole new experience for Ira. She liked the streams too but didn't want to wet her head below them, just her hands. They also went on paddle boats and some children danced in the bus with disco lights.
Ira said that Parvathamma and Thatha at the home stay were very nice people and took care of them. Srilakshmi and the teachers helped make the meal that the children had and they had different types of food everyday. Just before boarding the train back, they had dose for dinner, which is quite a favourite with many kids.
We asked Ira how she felt and she said that on the first night she was home sick and in tears. Some of her friends also went through that the next few days. We asked her what happened at that time and she said that Madhu (her class teacher) told them that this is her 7th excursion and she also misses her family very much. A common chord was struck and that helped them cope, I guess.
Our little girl is quite a foodie and loves non veg food. The morning at home began with some hot bournvita milk and biscuits and dose and alu sabji for breakfast. Lunch was Chicken pulao and dinner was egg fried rice. In spurts, we got little stories and am sure for the next few days, they will keep coming. The exhaustion had set in and long naps happened. The joy of being home, enjoying her holiday and also being told how she was missed by her Mamma and Papa.
She quite a few times called me Madhu and then we had to tell her, you are home and it is Mamma and Papa now. Till the next time and the next excursion.
These last few days are a reminder of many things, we take for granted and things we must be grateful for.
1. Children can always adapt to new experiences, the apprehensions and fears are with us adults.
2. Children have a strong sense of Independence and given that space, can manage themselves, take some small responsibilities and ownership of tasks. The forgotten items, mismatched clothes and shoes, scrambling for things doesn't really matter in the long run.
3. It is alright to feel homesick and to miss home. The acknowledgement of that moment is important but also to know that the other children and the adult with you sails in the same boat makes it easier. To know that you are not the only one with that overwhelming feeling. Children learn to cope.
4. To know that not everything, everytime will be perfect but to work around what is possible and make the most of it.
5. As parents, we have to remember that we can only facilitate certain experiences for them and then let go of that moment as the experience unravels (ok.Prashant and I were having a conversation on Parenting one of the days while Ira was travelling and this is a thought he shared and is being given due credit for). What we can do best is to teach the little human being to be open to all experiences. We are so glad that Ohana had these excursions and see it as a wonderful way to help the little ones get an understanding of the world beyond their comfort space.
6. To know and remember that people are kind and helpful. The world is filled with generosity that makes its way to us if we keep an open mind.
7. We love our little ones and the best way to love them more is to give them the independence and the autonomy that their heart desires and their mind seeks.
8. Make the most of these times as parents. We made the most of these four days meeting friends, binge watching Netflix, attending my favourite exhibition- Dastkar and even doing nothing!
9. A big shoutout to Madhumati, Sneha, Arun and Sreelakshmi for making this happen and our little human beings for giving us Parents so many moments and memories through their little travel stories.
10. Finally, Kudos to us parents. A small step for our little ones, but a mega leap for us for sure :)
Ira also wrote a bit about her trip in her journal. And for years, these pages will always remain super special, the Ira way.
Note: Permission was sought from all the parents before the group picture was posted in the blog.
#TravelTales #Stories #Ira #Iraisms #IraAtEight #EffablesAtEight #Love #Gratitude #Happiness #FirstSchoolExcursion #Pramadhs #Us #Parenting #Ohana
