Mom’s Invisible Eyes

It’s surprising how easily kids get amused by explanation of some things they get from adults.

Many times my kids ask me some questions for which I don’t really have answers, or in some cases I don’t want them to know the real answer that soon in their life, may be not appropriate for their age. In these kind of situation, I have noticed, most of the time unknowingly I give them funny answers. These funny answers trick them so much that their focus shifts from question (that they asked) to the answer immediately. Then they remember it forever.

Once, me and my daughter, only two of us were at home. I was cooking and my daughter was eating Chapati with curry. She was eating and watching TV. Both of our backs were facing each other’s. She was lill over 5 then. She hardly ate Chapati and curry herself (if it pizza, burger, she would eat herself without any help), on the top of that TV was on. 

Without going to her and without turning around, I just said, “Eat your food”.

She replied back instantly taking a bite, “I am”.

“I know you just took a bite now. You were not eating before.”

As soon as I said it, she came running to me, with her eyes wide open as if those eyes were very curious to know something and said to me, “Mommy, how did you know that I was not eating before? You didn't turn around to see”.

I instantly replied, “I have 2 eyes on the back side of my head, hidden in my hairs.”

“Wow, mom you are lucky to have it. Can I see it please?”

“Sweetie, nobody can see those eyes. God gave those invisible eyes to me when you were born”.

She was so amused by the answer that she finished the food very fast to call daddy and let him know about my 2 invisible eyes. After many months, one day all my three kids (my son, my daughter and my husband) were eating food and I was working in the kitchen, not facing them. I started hearing some slow noises, I understood that they are having fun and food is kept aside. Without turning around, I said, “Guys, finish your food fast, otherwise we are not going out.”

My daughter immediately said, “Dad, please finish your food fast, I want to go out. You know mommy has invisible eyes, she can see everything.” 

I laughed, secretly, hearing what she said to her dad.

This repeated so many times, few times at our home, one time in some party where her friends were not eating food. She told all of them about my invisible eyes. That night, when we returned home from party, she asked me, “Mommy, Amani told me that her mom too has invisible eyes that help Aunty to take care of her kids. Does every mom have those invisible eyes?”

“Yes my child”, I replied

The last sentence that she said before going to bed that night, left me thinking, did I do right thing by giving the answer of invisible eyes.....she said, “I can’t wait to be mom.”

I guess, 4 years after that incident, now she understands, what those mommy’s invisible eyes are! She has started playing the same with her younger brother.

“Don’t mess with my Lego blocks. I can see you with my invisible eyes”, she said while studying and not even looking at him. 

But yes, her brother was for sure messing up with her Legos......