Role reversal

There comes a time later in ones life that the role of parent and child begins to reverse and you begin to look after your parents, perhaps helping them with lifting boxes, or advising them on which internet provider to choose, or assisting them with a problem.

It isn't supposed to happen when they are 7 and 9 years old.

I’m already getting used to my children speaking for me in a shop, but now my daughter has taken it upon herself to write the school notes from me, and then to add insult to injury I am presented with them to sign like a small child.

It’s painful.

It’s an interesting position to be in where a young child has to help their parents because of course it's not the natural order of things.   I suppose it's a symptom of moving to a foreign country later in life, children adapt so quickly and the oldies are left behind in the dark.  I have complete empathy for parents in the UK who don’t speak English and have to take their children to school, somehow fuddle through the system and manage to sort out homework/reading/problems.

I went to Parents Evening on my own last week – which was an experience in itself.  Parents don’t individually come up to the teacher.  Instead they are made to sit on their child’s chair – 25 parents squished up on the desks while the teacher takes up her powerful position at the front and reads out the schedule of events for the up-and-coming months. 

And if your child hasn’t completed a piece of work or is behind the teacher quite happily highlights this in front of everyone.

Eeeek.

I sort of understood about a third of what was being said at the meeting (getting better) but god knows what I missed.  I gathered the kids are doing well and have acclimatised brilliantly so that’s the main thing I suppose?

But it’s not that long ago that I was the font of all knowledge for my children -  The Oracle from which I imparted interesting facts and wise opinions.

‘Mummy what’s faster a killer whale or a Cheetah?’

‘Hang on son let me think…it’s the Cheetah’

Of course I was secretly aided and abetted by Google, but that’s not the point.

The point is that I thought I would be The Oracle for a few more years, but sadly it’s fading before my eyes, exasperated by the fact their Czech fast exceeds mine.

Bloody hell the kids have even started skiing better than me.

Oh well, there’s still one person who listens to me and thinks I’m the source of all knowledge…the dog.