Sugar, spice and all things nice

There is only one pretty child in the world. And every mother has it. A child is God's opinion that the world should go on. Little babies are simply irresistible and defy definition. That's what I experienced when I became a grandpa two months ago. It was a momentous occasion, one I would cherish forever. It was as if I was living my own parenthood all over again. The moment Khadija came, the days became shorter, nights longer, clothes shabbier and the home happier than ever. I discovered one more thing: you can't buy happiness, it is born. The bundle of joy arrived early in the morning. Bleary-eyed, I rushed to the hospital as I got the glad tidings. Sugar, spice and all things nice. That's what came to my mind when I set eyes on the baby cuddling close to the mother.

Khadija immediately occupied a huge place in our hearts which we never knew was empty. The problem arose when she started crying a short while later throwing a challenge of sorts. My wife immediately rose to the occasion and started crooning  ''. Lo and behold the baby calmed down in no time. Most of us blindly ape the West. But when it comes to singing lullabies Indian moms are indigenous to the core. Lullabies are time-tested solutions for all baby problems. Generations of children have been nurtured on them. The mother gently rocks the baby in her arms while humming in soft low tone and it has a magical effect on the infant.

Children have an instant connect to soft rhythmic songs and modern research too supports this view. The motion caused by simultaneous rocking and singing has a soothing effect on infants. Besides lulling them to sleep, lullabies also help build an intimate bond between the mother and child.
Be it 'dhire se aajare akhiyan main or chanda mama door ke', there is no dearth of lullabies. But most moms prefer to sing bedtime lories hummed by their own mothers.

I am sure each region and family has its own set of popular jingles rendered by grandmas over the years. Singing lullabies comes naturally to women and they know how to switch over from one to another changing the tone and tenor to suit the mood of the baby. In Telangana homes many mothers rock their babies to sleep with lories like: ‘paon jahad machli paon jahad’ or ‘aage aage gaima dema tera duddoo’.

There is no way one can be a perfect mother but there are millions of ways to be a good one. What children need is your presence more than your presents.

- J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in The New Indian Express

Dated September 19,2017.