Redefining ABCDs

Last evening I asked Datta, who is more interested in playing and doing rather than reading/writing, to actually sit down and write ABCDs. Needless to say, he couldn't get computer time if he didn't write them.

He grunted, complained and found no other way but to write them. So he did, threw the paper in my lap and went up to play Disney games on the computer with his big brother and little sister. After I was done doing whatever I was busy with, I looked at the paper, and to my dismay - found just A, B, C and D scribbled on it. Nothing more.

Here's the conversation that ensued:

Me: Datta... why didn't you write it all?

Datta: I did.

Me: Where? You just wrote 4 letters. Where are the rest?

Datta: You asked me to write only those four.

Me: No I didn't. I said write ABCDs - meaning, you have to write until Z.

Datta: But Z is not part of ABCDs.

I am sure scores of parents have gone through this conversation with their kids. It's almost the end of the day. No energy left to sit down and explain to him. Nor to keep him engaged with anything else either...so I resigned and left him giggle away with his siblings in front of the computer.

Swasti!!