My Sons, in 3 Words : Mak’s Point of View

in conjuction with mother’s day in malaysia on 16th may, I take this chance to describe my THREE sons in THREE words or phrases, from my observation as their mother. I love that they all have strong personality and vibrant character, just like their bapak.

the year is 2013. khaleef is 7+, kahfi is 4+ and kazim is 3. I hope one day you boys (or your potential girlfriends! haha) will read this and it will put a smile on your face as you think about YOUR own kids and how similar, or different they are from you!

in the meantime, happy mother’s day to the rest of you beautiful people!

 

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3 words to describe my boys :

khaleef

sensitive – he puts up this cool front – football and taekwando and all, but he’s a real softie at heart. he cries when his other brothers get scolded by mak or bapak. he cries when po gets kicked by the bad guys in ‘kungfu panda’. he cries when he found out that his bestfriend zain is moving to another school. he’s just a sensitive kid, man.

it’s ok to cry, son. being a man does not mean holding back emotions just to appear strong and macho. remember that your tears is not a sign of weakness – it’s a sign that you are alive. embrace your sensitivity!

responsible – (with pre-instructions and reminders), he can totally take care of his brothers independently. he can prepare breakfast for them in the morning – toasted bread with nutella or cereal with fresh milk. he can bathe them. he can clothe them. he has fun with them. he tells them about dinosaurs, and show them dubai on the map. he’s the true big brother anyone would be glad to have.

I am totally proud of this trait that you have. you’re becoming the young man that I can absolutely depend on. keep it up!

leader – the dynamics in the car is different and more mild whenever khaleef is not around. this is because he’s the sunshine that gives out rays of fun! he creates games for them to play, and they follow his lead during any playtime. sometimes it gets out of hand (someone ends up crying or bump of the head), and he turns out to be the culprit – but at the end of the day, it wouldn’t be a fun creative game play if it wasn’t for his ideas.

it’s clear that you have leadership quality, khaleef. use it well.

 

kahfi

realist – he keeps it real and I love this most about him. whenever I’m angry at him, or just finished scolding him, he doesn’t sulk too long, he doesn’t waste time crying all day (unlike big bro khaleef who would sulk in his room or hide under the bed for hours after being scolded) – he can walk right up to me demanding WHY I was angry, WHY was I being so hard on him, REASONS with me, DEBATES with me, and THEN he apologizes. if he accepts my explanation. if not, he would ask me to say sorry instead (in cases where he’s wrongly accused!)

I see a lawyer in the making.

mommy’s boy – he’s the most manja. being the middle child, he either lose the attention to the smarter big brother, or to the adorable little brother. so he totally seeks attention with his 1001 questions and endless stories. he snuggles up to mak all the time and ALWAYS say ‘I love you, mak’ every day without fail. I have to remind myself to reply, ‘I love you too,’ no matter how annoying he’s been – because I know I will regret the day he stops saying those three little words, just because I didn’t say it back.

oh, whenever he’s in trouble or just been scolded, he always manage to snuggle up to me and say, “mak, can you sayang me?” owh, who could resist THAT? you’re gonna be one heckuva player – but be a responsible player, ok!

good PR – this is warm and welcoming, but at the same time dangerous as well – he enjoys chatting up to strangers. from mothers with babies at the checkout counter, to the labourers we pass by while in the car. he asks questions or at least say hi. just look at his smile. nuff said.

this is a commendable trait, my son – to be able to smile at everyone no matter who they are, and where they’re from – well-dressed ladies to uncles with scruffy hair and worn-out shoes – but alas, we live in a world where kids are taught ‘stranger danger’. don’t speak to strangers. be wary of strangers. continue your warmth and friendliness, but tread carefully!

ok now I see a politician!

 

kazim

fearless – he’s one manly boy. he punches, he pushes, he gets it done with little crying, unlike older bro kahfi who cries easily! he’s demanding too – what he wants, he wants and he wants it now – and he gets in there to get it! while bapak’s rotan will scare his older brothers, it will do little to scare him. pinch him? smack his bum bum? he will get back on his feet and go up his business as usual. this is one tough cookie!

I hope in time, you will learn to control that fierceness in you and channel it well!

independent – he is 3 years old, and he can carry the big ribena bottle, his bottle, and the heavy plastic jug full of water all the way from the kitchen to my room, just so I could make the ribena drink for him without troubling me. while kahfi will ask me for water, kazim would just go through the diaper bag to look for water bottle when he’s thirsty, and then open it himself to have a drink. tak payah menyusahkan mak!

I can that see that you’re the one I don’t have to worry about when you go off to boarding school!

creative – while his older brothers prefer to follow the instructions while playing lego, kazim could just take pieces of lego and turn it into a weird masterpiece of his creation. full concentration, he would pick out the tiny lego pieces with his tiny fingers and fix them up into a spaceship. or a barge. or a train. he would take the ‘dinosaurs’ and line them up in the circle around ‘batman’. other kids his age start off drawing circles – kazim draws abstract lines.

creativity. is the first step to problem-solving. never lose it!

 

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khaleef, kahfi, kazim

 

..no matter what THREE words mak use to describe all of you, you boys have ONE thing in common – that I LOVE YOU no matter what. remember that! mwah!

what are the THREE words that YOU can use to describe YOUR children?