She’s halfway across the world, and occasional “skyping” is the way I keep in touch. But I love the anecdotes that make their way across the ocean….

KTB always wants to get away from her high chair after her meal is over, but the rule is that she must either sign (ASL) or say, “All done” or “Acchu” (Tamizh)…but she does not like doing this.

Her parents, therefore, leave her in the high chair until she says this. THEY adopt a variety of ways to convey to her that shrieking to be let out is not an acceptable form of request….they ignore her, they tell her calmly what she must do….and take her out when she finally signs or says “All done”.

She too thought up an innovative way of getting out of the chair. She knows that dropping cutlery from her high chair would result in a “time out”…which is usually her going to a corner and standing there.

So, looking carefully at her parents to see that they were noticing what she was doing (and, of course, to a chorus of “K, DON’T drop your spoon on the floor!”)…she carefully dropped her spoon on the floor…and then waited expectantly to be taken out of her high chair.

Extreme surprise resulted when her mother told her that there would be a “time out”…but that it would be right there, on the high chair!

Instant compliance, and a signing of “All done”, was her prompt response.

KTB is learning strategic thinking!

Alas, I have no recent photographs…the parents are really busy, balancing home, child, friends and other activities. But when I go there…you are going to be DELUGED again with KTB images!