KT is in a stage where she is beginning to categorize things and people as good and bad. For eg. when I say too much ice cream is bad for her throat she says, “No mama. Ice cream is good. It’s tasty!” Whoever raises the voice at home becomes ‘bad’. The person who insists to do what she refuses to do is bad, while the person who reluctantly gives into her demands becomes ‘Chellam. Good mama/dada!” followed by a peck on the cheek!

That was the case until recently.

Lately she has begun to gauge a person’s goodness differently. This applicable only for strangers we come across on the road, supermarkets, church.. just anywhere outside home. She will see someone looking at her and tell me, “Mamma, akka smile at KT. Good akka!” or sometimes with a sad face, “Uncle not smile at KT. Baaaaaad uncle!”

Wish it took something as simple as a smile to differentiate a good person from a bad person! That’s how innocent and oblivious a child is to a world of deception!

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I’m beginning to teach her to do things on her own – eat herself, put on her own clothes, shoes, etc. All my instructions end with the statement, “KT is now a B-I-G girl. She is T-H-R-E-E years old!” 

She replies, “No mama. KT smaaaaall girl!” and walks away ignoring me.

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She is growing up to be sensitive to other’s feelings. Especially those close to her. And I love it when she tries to offer little words of comfort.

“Don’t worry, mama. KT there, okay?”

“No problem. Smile. KT get you water!” when I cough or pretend to be sick.

The other day, my nephew D, KT’s cousin dropped a bowl of rasam in the kitchen and walked into the room with a sullen face. KT went close to him and said, “Don’t cry. KT there okay? KT clean all rasam! Smile!”

This is the kind of girl I want KT to be as she grows – considerate, comforting and doing what she can to help those around her.