Today, as I hear several young parents saying one child is enough

Two much? Not at all

The ides of March bring heat waves that make the city’s winter chill a sweet distant memory. But, there is a pleasant warmth in my home as both kids are together for the break. Today, as I hear several young parents saying one child is enough — who knows if siblings will stay close when they grow up, or how can we meet their rising demands in this competitive age — I am glad I have two to fill my coop. “Chill Mom,” my duo tells me, “Don’t get too senti(mental).” In a lighter vein, let me tell you that the lines I hear most frequently in the holidays are: He: “Mom, what’s for breakfast?” She: “Mom I want a cheese omelette.” He: “I don’t like eggs.” She: “Can my friends come for a stay-over?” He: “If her friends can come, why cannot mine?” She: “What’s for dinner? No chicken?” He: “If she can go out it, why can’t I?” She: “I am coming with you, I want to go shopping.” He: “Why is my T-shirt in her cupboard?” She: “He went alone with friends to Alibaug! You never let me do that at his age!” The last line inevitably leading to a huge discussion on my double standards. But must what worked for the goose work for the gander? Anyone who has two children — of different genders and with a relatively big age gap — will sympathise with my lot, not that I am really complaining. For I have seen parents whose kids are very close in years — sometimes a year and a half apart — finish with their parenting in one shot, so to speak. I wonder if I were to plan my kids again (in some other life), would I time my babies differently? Not at all, even though the four-and-a-half year difference between the twain has meant that I had to relearn how to parent Gaurav (who is almost half a generation behind Aakanksha). For today, if there is someone who would look out for him as much as we do, it’s his sister. And if there is someone he really listens to — for she understands him much more than we do — it’s again his elder sibling. Just one example: When I had to recently enrol him for some classes, I called her to get a reality check on his plans. Within minutes, she texted me: ‘Go ahead!’ And of course, Aakanksha goes the extra mile for him. Just a few days ago, the not so little one turned 17. His cousin Jyotsna, in a last-minute move, came straight from college to stay the night. As we were eating our dinner, Gaurav called up his sister who cut his call as she said she was watching a movie in her hostel room. But, some instinct made him turn and say, “Mom, I think she is coming.” It was late at night and being a paranoid mom, I called her to check (read flip) only to have her deny the possibility. His gang followed their ritual of wishing each other at midnight, with a ‘surprise’ visit. Come the witching hour - one of his friends Aneesh came a few minutes early. At midnight, the doorbell rang again. With Abhi, Tanvi, Mitalee, two more ‘visitors’ walked in — Aakanksha with Niharika. The girls had taken the Indrayani Express, reached by 11pm, holed up for an hour at Tanvi and Mitalee’s place and arrived, bang on time. Up till the morning, they returned by the early train to Pune. Thank god, sibling love is sometimes larger than sibling rivalry! This is not to imply that battles will not be fought over the PS3, the TV, the computer and the separate curfews for each as summer heats up. But dotted as our calendar is with such ‘senti-moments,’ — which are often dismissed by my kids as sappy or lame — I am content. And, I hope they both are too!