No means No

Michelle walked to my room at 5.00 this morning complaining that she is not well, I jumped out of the bed and my goodness she’s having a fever and quite a high one too, her forehead was feverish, I rushed to the fridge and took out a bottle of paracetemol but I can’t feed her the cool medicine as she was having dry cough for the past 2 days, I searched frantically for some other solution and found a repository capsule, put it in her, mom in-law sponged her and I accompanied her back to sleep in her room. 7.30 am she was awake again and insisted that she wanted to go the school camp, I objected and advised her to stay at home, she objected and cried, demanding that I let her go. I insisted on my stand and started with this whole reasoning episode thing, she cried and cried, finally I made my final point and said “No”.

Nothing she could do but I could feel the disappointment in her, she told me days before that today they are doing something different in the camp, got to do with playing with water gun and some water fun thing. Well this is what parents need to face at times, you know you will hurt them by saying “No” but it’s for their own good and after doing what you need to do, you hate that bad feeling having to disappoint them, so to make up, I dug the “paper craft book” purchased last weekend, ran through the pages to see if I can find something to keep her occupied and divert her attention from the campy thing.

Guess what, I found it, suggested that they made paper plates, taught my mom in-law the procedures and she lovingly helped me with the stuff, making a bowl of glue, took out some colorful papers, plates, paint brushes etc…… Being “ken cheong” girl (like the mum), she wanted to start on it immediately, mei mei was all excited too….. Let’s see the results tonight!