And The Award for Least Responsive Parent Goes To...

I once came across a book called "The World's Worst Mom" in a bookstore in HK and have always regretted not buying it. Even if it's just for me to make a comparison every now and then with what's at the bottom of the barrel. Because I'm starting to suspect that the author may have been mistaken, since the world's worst mom could well be the person typing out this post. Why do I think so? Let's see.....

1. During our 2.5 week holiday to The America, I believe we bathed The Son about a grand total of 5 times. Now that he has returned to Singapore, he regards bathing as a non-necessity and is not afraid to share his views. "No need! No need!" is the shouted response when anyone suggests that he adjourn for his daily bath.

2. His standard breakfast, lunch and dinner (when no relatives intervened with alternative foods) on a daily basis would be Cheerios, all from the same box which we did not manage to finish before leaving, and which I tried to stuff into our handcarry. Although "child meals" were available on the plane, I forgot on every occasion except one to make a special order, so we did not get served any child meals and I was too lazy to go to the back of the plane to steal unattended child meals during the flight. On the single occasion that we did get served a child meal, I was hungry and The Son was asleep, so I et it.

3. My mother has had enough of The Son wandering around in clothes that ceased to fit him almost a year ago, and has taken it upon herself to buy him new clothes. Everything he wears (other than the diapers) is a gift, except for the one pair of pants that I bought for him 1.5 years back ... if you count something picked out for him by his other Grandma which I happened to pay for together with my books and toiletries when we got to the checkout.

4. We have not successfully brushed his teeth in months. The pediatrician, seeing him for the first time after more than a year, handed me the contact details of a dentist.

And to top it off...

5. This morning at about 5 am, The Son woke up, looked at his sleeping parents, and then turns to the father. Daddy. Daddy. Diaper. Change. I heard that and went back to sleep, but turned my back on him so as to avoid giving anyone the impression that I was available to assist.

If any mother can top this, then my hat's off!