Attempting to bond with kids!

by Rebecca Rhodes
(USA)

I want to share my personal experience of bonding with kids, which went totally in the wrong direction. It all started when I got married and entered into a new family, totally eager to bond with every person in the family

My spouse has a huge family with 4 brothers, 2 sisters, 3 nephew's and 1 niece (kids are 10 years of age and up). Bonding with family was a difficult task as you know; elders always have second thoughts, and keeping them happy is a life long task. So I thought its good idea to start with kids.

But it so happened that I had to move to another country just 10 days after my wedding. Finally after two years we planned vacation and thought of meeting everyone. I was very eager to get back with my family as well as his family (because few things were yet to be accomplished. I bought lot of gifts and stuff for the kids as well as for elders.

When my first nephew knew we were coming back he came online and started chatting with my spouse (he is just 8 years old). Later it so happened my hubby just called me and said your job begins now. I was a little perplexed and went ahead and started chatting with his nephew with enthusiasm.

I asked him do you need something from here(USA). His first response was "Oh yeah! a Nintendo DS with Pokemon game." Ah! here I go. Later on he gave me every bit of information of how to buy a Nintendo. I was in a confused mode after this thinking whether its good thing to buy for a kid or not.

Didn't even know whether his parents would like it (because they always complained about computer games). Then finally when we went to our country (though without Nintendo), a few interesting things happened.

Next was his niece's demand who is just 5 years old. I just loved speaking to her with a lisp. Even she used to play lot of video games on her dad's computer. Then I just taught her some new games. She was totally into it and loved all the apps I had.

She just started trying out every other game all day long. When ever she needed to know something she would come to me sit on my lap and ask. I thought it was great that my bonding session started. After few days they had to leave as her exams were starting and she came to me and asked I need this iTouch. Please, please give it to me. Ha ha! There it goes, she packed the iTouch and kept it in her tiny bag. Her mom just watched all this. I was kinda okay with her cute behavior. Later her mom just removed the game without telling her daughter and gave to me.

Soon after they left I got a call after two hours and little kiddo was eager to talk to me. I felt happy and as soon as I said "Hello!" she started to say "I won't talk to you ever... you just took my iTouch from my bag. If you really want to talk to me just send me iTouch which ever way you want. Otherwise I will never talk to you...." Here I was thinking what to say and she just hung up ( I think you can imagine my state ).

Later one of nephews' who asked for Nintendo got to know I didn't get it. He called me and said "I don't need your Nintendo... why did you ask, when you never intended to get it?" Poor me. And the other two nephews called me to visit them just before coming back to US. I just couldn't go as we were already late. Again I got a call and the two kids were so angry and said a few things and hung up the phone. It was quite funny and a pitiable situation for me.

Totally memorable vacation of bonding with kids (which never happened). I never thought its such a tough job. I just said to myself "Better luck next time honey." My hubby just said "Not as easy as you thought." Attempting to bond with kids!