Each day I think my kids are just too grown up to play dress-up and each day they prove me wrong. I see other children refusing to wear shorts because they’re “too big”, girls loving their fluffy dresses and smart halters, kids feeling awkward if they’re dressed differently… not so for mine. They revel in looking different. How come they’re not embarrassed? I often wonder. How come they don’t get teased to death? To wear a costume outside a fancy dress party is kind of weird by my standards.So why did I let them?
Well because my standards are never their standards. Weird/scary/silly for me is often fun for them.
Besides, one of my rules for survival states – ‘Allow the kids to do what they want unless it’s life threatening or involves a mess that I’ll need to clear up’.
Plus, there’s a bit of a history.
This year we finally managed to organise a fancy dress and talent show in our society. That was no mean achievement given that the average population here is above 60 and likes to lead a quiet life bereft of so much as the whiff of excitement… specially stuff that involves anything to do with noisy children.
As usual, there was this huge debate at home on who will be what and as usual what I wanted wasn’t what the kids wanted. Hrit was dying to show off his Spiderman costume, a hand me down from his cousin, while Naisha wanted to be Krishna complete with a blue face and body. I, on the other hand wanted for them to do something together, for once. I thought of an earth-moon sequence where Naisha would be the moon revolving around a rotating/revolving earth, Hrit. I thought it was a great idea. Not so, the kids.
After much negotiation they agreed provided I let them wear “what they want” for “however long they want” after the show. Hence.
The show, by the way, was great fun even though we had no budget. Someone got a laptop, another one got the speakers and someone else got a pen drive full of music. A creative mum rustled up some badges while everyopne chipped in with leftover birthday decorations. The mums turned up with their kids and we were set for a great time while the senior citizens snoozed (Yes well.. I don’t quite like their attitude. I’m sure you’ve guessed that by now!).
A few pictures of the event…
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| A bunch of grapes, a bhajiwali, a nurse aur do mere wale. They’re not in costume because much of it was paper and I wanted to preserve it till the fancy dress actually started. |
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| Shivaji, a zebra crossing (that had a real flashing red light) and a Japanese doll. And there’s the girl who could do a hundred cartwheels, as part of the talent show. |
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| The youngest of them all.. a fairy. |
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| Shivaji gets busy with his mum’s camera |
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| Krishna and Radha |
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| Our very cool DJ aunty |
For the talent show Hrit Naisha did an edited version of Ek Chidiya, an old favourite of mine. Even though I say it myself, they were pretty purrrfect :-).
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| During a ‘dress rehearsal’ at home |
