Parenting a pre-schooler can sometimes be a patience-stretching exercise.  Like day before yesterday, when Atul decided that his sole task for the day was testing his boundaries, which meant I was constantly at his back giving him countdowns and threatening to withdraw rewards. He was pushing and pushing his limits and I just couldn't keep up. I gave up. I heaved heavily and closed my eyes. Atul, of course,  immediately knew that I was displeased with him and that's the last thing he wanted (I have to be happy with him, all the time. Period. ). He asadu vazhingified (not sure I can come up with a translation, roughly it means an expression out of guilt,  with the intention to win me back) and said with a sheepish grin, "Mommy, I am a troublesome kid. I am very naughty". All my repressed frustration just vanished into thin air and I was laughing away to glory. Oh, the things that he can be proud of!

When I narrated this to Arvind, my wise husband threw a nugget of wisdom - Atul is like  flowing water. It is better to go with the flow than to resist it.  And for the record, I agree :-)