Am I safe for my children?

We were travelling in car with few kids. Kids were sharing about a child who has told them various stories about his father. To some he told that he consumed poison, to some he told he met with an accident, some he told he consumed poison and then became alive………………………….kids were sharing with each other “why he tells so many stories? God knows how many stories he has and how many fathers he has…………………….”.

One of the adult in the car asked with all the positive intentions “why do you think he tells all this, what are his needs?’

First there was a silence in the car, then phatak! One child said “you are not part of the discussion”................. Slowly the kids stories faded, they too changed the topic and we continued with our journey.

This reminded me of my own experience

In collage from the day one I was dating Ratnesh, I wanted to tell my elder brother. One of the days I shared a little with him how we told lies to parents and went for night coffee at 3am. Out of all his positive intention he said very gently to me “be careful, all this can be dangerous.....boys can take advantage”.

After that for four years I did not tell him anything about my relationship with Ratnesh, until the day I had to tell to get the permission to get marry :)

few days back, Asa went alone in auto to GK , she shared that she gave a lift to one stranger lady, I was quick enough to tell her “this can be dangerous”………………..

It was a dilemma for me to tell or not?  To tell at that time or talk about her views…………….well, we continued the discussion in very many different ways, she shared her views, I shared mine…….and at the left with “this may be just my apprehensions and few stories of strangers I have heard”. As usual Asa smiled :)

Now Asa tells me her 5^th std stories of school (4yrs old stories)– how she used to chat chat and chat and the teacher changed her seat or how they used to play games hiding below the bench ………………………….and many more.

Still when it comes to share stories of Aarohi – she with half apprehension in me, half confidence in me she tells, she waits and watch before she tells me more…………..

Dhup will come and say non-stop…………………sometimes he clearly says “I am not telling you what happened”.

Yet, to work on myself on making my presence SAFE for  my children.