Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow they will grow up. Here’s a starter pack. 

This week, my tweenage daughter sang with two choirs at one concert. Daddy couldn’t make it, so I could either skip the concert or show up single-handed with both my younger children. In such a case, I normally play martyr and stay home, get everyone to bed early and catch up on TV. Ultimately, it’ll be 11pm and I’ll have still been channel surfing, wishing instead, that I had slept. Not this time. I couldn’t miss her performance; but mostly, I had to find a safe place for her to change costume between acts!

I packed pram, wipes, extra clothes, snacks, mosquito gel, toys and plasters for disasters. I was set. Trundling into the venue, I realized that it was an open-air concert, and – though it was loud, drizzled persistently, gas cylinder burst at the venue – we had a great time, because….there was sand! Kids of all ages made large desert dunes masterfully while younger ones, like mine, pulled out toys and quad-biked over them. When taking a break from the sand, they bobbed around the large screens enjoying the music, munching on dinner and tiring themselves out with real physical activity! What a great evening.

This made me compile a MUST-DO-fun-things list. They grow up too soon.

#1. Go to an open-air concert. So you and the kids can zone out/rock out without disturbing anyone. Audis are mostly painful venues if you have a child below 10. When it’s open-air, you can sing, dance, catch the action on a big screen, run to the back of the venue and grab a hot dog, run there again just for the fun of it, and they’ll fall asleep on the drive home. Perfect.

#2. Take the day off school for no reason at all. Great for bonding, especially if you have more than one child. Depending on what he likes, you can catch a movie, do lunch at a restaurant of his choice, go to the park, bake cupcakes together or just stay in bed and watch TV. It’s so much fun, particularly if it’s breaking a rule for the day. I’ve done this repeatedly and none of my children have failed primary or play school.

#3. Have a picnic in your front yard. Or living room, or balcony. It’s like a tea-set party with REAL FOOD! Spread a mat/carpet, let them pour out juice and eat sandwiches/samosas. Pull out a saucepan and a spoon and let someone drum up a rhythm, while you sing together. My 11-year-old still, still asks to do this on occasion; the picnic, not hear me sing.

#4. Stay up to watch the moon. Every child must see the moon in all its splendour. Plan a star-gazing evening on a Friday. Spread a mat, lie still and enjoy. If you can do this with a few friends, it’s more fun. Plus, someone or the other will offer to bring dinner!

#5. Plant seeds. Life Science at your door. Digging in the dirt and squishing dry leaves into a pot are wonderfully fulfilling activities. And you’ll have so much to talk about every day after – the watering, the germination, leaves, life… and if earthworms surface, you – Mummy – have arrived!

#6. Eat ice cream for breakfast. Milk, eggs, sugar, fruit; or if you prefer… Calcium, Phosphorous, Potassium, Vitamin B plus plus (depending on the fruit) – what’s not to like? You can make a case for brushing teeth after.

#7. Dance in the rain. Every child should do this a few times, even if you think they’ll catch a cold or “get dirty”.  My three charge to the terrace at the hint of a drizzle. The cost? Wet floor, towels and a change of clothes. If anything, it has built their immunity.

So lighten up, laugh some and reach for that ice cream scoop. You know you want to!

This column was first published in the Bangalore Mirror in August 2013