Parenting 101 - Purchase Requisition

I was kind of expecting this request though. I knew it was coming, sooner or later. But Amri did take his time. About two months. So this afternoon, on the way to his school, Amri asked me whether he could have a mobile phone.

Whatever for, I asked.
Amri : So that Ibu wouldn’t be so mad at me for ‘borrowing’ your handphone.

Mind you, when he said ‘borrow’ it meant running away with my mobile phone. Twice. First time, he quietly slip my handphone into his Qiraati bag during our mad scramble for breakfast (read: ibu was running late for everything). Coincidently, on the very same morning, one of my instructors called in sick. Since no one pick up the call (Amri and handphone were already at Qiraati class), she sent me an SMS. Somehow, Amri deleted the SMS. Needless to say, I was fuming mad. Not only I turned the house upside down looking for my mobile phone, I also didn’t have a clue that my instructor wouldn’t be turning up that evening. Of course, Amri was grounded for that week. No bicycling for the week and no cartoon.

I thought it would put a stop to it. But it happened again. One sunny afternoon a few days ago, I noticed my handphone was again missing. Spent a few minutes checking inside my car and bag then decided to call my own mobile number. Unsurprisingly, the call was answered by Amri, with teacher’s calm voice and kids screaming at the background. Went to his school, straight to his class and demanded my handphone back. Asked the kindly English teacher if she could give a few stern words to Amri on my behalf (I doubted it, she doesn’t look stern enough), shot I-am-going-to-murder-you look to Amri and left, temper flared. Wouldn’t surprise if fire and smoke came out from my nostrils. I spent the rest of the day devising many ways of diciplining Amri. However, one hour of good workout at Seribadan later douched the fire. Plus looking at Amri’s sad face after being grounded again by his father. I decided just to have a good talk with Amri.
So help me God, I am a softie.

I am still wondering whether Amri should get his own handphone or not. Frankly, I think he is too young for it. He may be in Year 1 but he is, afterall, still a six year old boy. And acts/thinks like one. Plus, didn’t handphone a banned item at school? Though more than half of his classmates bring one. But they may need it for valid reasons, like missing their transport or the parents needs to let them know that they will be a bit late. Or the car was parked properly a few kilometres away (as if). I don’t really see a reason why Amri needs one either. He lives three minutes away from school, being sent and fetched by parents and has a mom who could reach his classroom in two minutes if she wants to. There was one day when hubby was waiting patiently for Amri at the back gate while Amri was waiting at the front gate and it was already 20 minutes after the bell rang. And his class teacher called me asking why Amri was still at school compound. Meaning that, there really was no reason to worry. Teachers were always there. And they had parents contact numbers listed somewhere.


So, this mom tells his son again to give her another good reason why he needs a mobile phone (in a no-nonsense accountant tone).
He said “ Untuk call ibu lah …. nanti Amri risau kalau tak cakap dengan ibu. Kalau ayah balik lambat, nanti ibu tak happy sebab ibu takde kawan nak sembang sembang. Kalau ada handphone, bolehlah ibu sembang dengan Amri”

Good enough reason?

I’ll leave it to hubby lah.

p/s: I was pleasantly surprised to see Amri’s classroom to have only about 30 something kids (or less). On registration day, it was 42 kids.